The South Carolina Gamecocks have landed a commitment from 3-star cornerback Kejiaun “KJ” Johnson, choosing USC over a competitive group that included Ole Miss, Arkansas, West Virginia, Mississippi State, and others.

Johnson took his official visit to Columbia during the first weekend of June. While he briefly considered taking more visits — even making a trip to West Virginia this past weekend — South Carolina separated themselves in the process.

"He let me know ahead of time that he would be committing to the University of South Carolina. He’s locked in," said Fisher Brewer of Gamecock Scoop, who has been closely covering Johnson’s recruitment.

A Visit That Left an Impression

When asked about his biggest takeaway from the weekend, Johnson didn’t hesitate.

“My biggest takeaway was our photo shoot — I wasn’t expecting that. It was probably the best photo shoot of all time. It was a great photo shoot.”

Still, it wasn’t just the experience — Johnson made it clear that the Gamecocks had always stood out to him for deeper reasons.

“South Carolina was always higher than everybody else, but with the 3.3 team GPA and a great business marketing major, that really boosted them way higher.”“I’d definitely love to play corner there — or nickel. Coach Gray is a great coach, and I know with his experience and knowledge he can develop me to play in the NFL.”

Development Over Distraction

Johnson admitted he had been weighing the idea of continuing the recruiting process.

“Yes, I was thinking hard on whether I wanted to take any more OVs.”

But in the end, his decision came down to one key word: development.

“Development mainly,” Johnson said, when asked what separated South Carolina from the rest.

With strong academics, elite coaching under Torrian Gray, and a clear plan for his future, Kejiaun Johnson is officially in the boat — giving the Gamecocks another dynamic piece in their defensive backfield of the future.