Cookeville, Tennessee, has produced a lot of football talent over the years, but few recruitments have moved as fast or drawn as much attention as the one Upperman High School tight end Colton “CJ” Johnson just wrapped up.
On July 9, Johnson announced his commitment to Ole Miss, choosing the Rebels over a list of finalists that included Alabama, Florida State, North Carolina and Purdue. It capped a recruitment that stretched to more than 60 offers for the 6-foot-4, 230-pound junior, a staggering number for a player from a school that, by most accounts, is believed to be just the second Upperman football player ever to receive an FBS offer.
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The Tape Behind the Buzz
Johnson’s recruitment didn’t happen by accident — it happened because of what he put on film. Last season, Johnson caught 36 passes for 615 yards and four touchdowns, while also chipping in 133 tackles on defense as a two-way threat for the Bees. That kind of production at both tight end and linebacker is exactly why Johnson earned a TSWA All-State selection at linebacker, and why a few schools even expressed interest in him potentially playing both ways at the next level, though tight end remains his primary path forward.
In his own words, the explosion in interest traced directly back to when his highlight tape hit the internet. “I got a few offers during the season. But as soon as I posted my junior season tape, it really kind of took off,” Johnson told The Tennessean in March. “Then during the contact period, they wanted to come and see me. Once my junior film got out there, offers started coming in” (Yahoo Sports).
More Than a Football Player
Johnson isn’t just making plays on the gridiron. He’s also a standout on the basketball court, averaging 12.4 points and 9.5 rebounds this past season while shooting 54.4% from the field, helping Upperman reach the Class 3A state semifinals. That athleticism shows up in his tight end profile, a big frame with the movement skills to be a legitimate matchup problem in the passing game.
A Recruitment That Put Upperman on the Map
By the time things wrapped up, Johnson had built one of the more competitive recruitments in the state. His recruitment surged in the spring, with programs like Tennessee, Alabama, Indiana, Ohio State and Oregon all getting involved, alongside offers from Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Florida State and Ole Miss. Ole Miss made its move in January and never let up, ultimately winning out.
Johnson explained what tipped the scales toward Oxford: “Probably for a few weeks now, I have known it was Ole Miss. Once I finished up on my official visit, I’ve been thinking about it, and they’ve kind of been my frontrunner. The other schools were great, but I just kept thinking about Ole Miss” (On3).
He credited the people first. “The people, for sure,” Johnson said. “It feels so much like home. Then the development they’ve had at tight end and the winning they have had were factors too. I think they’re going to be very successful, and that’s a big part of my recruitment” (HottyToddy).
Head coach Pete Golding’s direct approach also stood out. “Every talk we’ve had, he’s always told me exactly how I fit in and why he thinks I’m a great recruit for their program,” Johnson said (HottyToddy).
What It Means Going Forward
Johnson isn’t just filling a need; he becomes the first tight end commitment in Ole Miss’s 2027 class, joining a group that currently ranks among the nation’s top 15. For Upperman and Cookeville, it’s a landmark moment, proof, as Johnson himself put it, that people are starting to realize the program is “better than they thought.”
Class of 2027. 6-foot-4, 230 pounds. Two-way dominance at Upperman. And now, a Rebel.
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