Tennessee chasing 2023 four-star guard Chris Johnson

The offseason is in full swing, and Tennessee is looking towards both the transfer portal and recruiting trail to address their future rosters. Work may not be done in the 2022 class, but of course, work is well underway for the 2023 group.

One of those targets for the future is Chris Johnson, a four-star guard out of Missouri City, Texas. The 6-5 combo guard is the 37th ranked prospect in the 2023 cycle, per 247Sports. Tennessee offered Johnson in late January, and now is one of the schools he’s focusing on going forward.

Per 247Sports, Tennessee is keying in on him this spring, along with Kansas and Arkansas.

Tennessee: “I talk to Rod Clark a lot and I also talk to Rick Barnes. Basically with Coach Rod, he calls to check on me. He is like a mentor who always makes sure I am good. He tells me about how I would play in their offense and great stuff related to that.”

Johnson fits the Rick Barnes mold, known for his athleticism and competitiveness on the defensive end of the floor. He averaged 19 points last season for Elkins, also adding five assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

Johnson also holds offers from Texas, Texas A&M, Memphis, Houston, Georgia, LSU and Creighton.

Tennessee is set at point guard for years to come with Zakai Zeigler and BJ Edwards in place. However, they may have only one season left with Santiago Vescovi, who has entered the NBA Draft process this year. Looking ahead, that leaves only Justin Powell (Junior), Quentin Diboundje (Sophomore) and Jahmai Mashack (Sophomore) at shooting guard, pending other additions.

For now, this battle seems to be down to three for Johnson. He says he plans to commit following Peach Jam, which is scheduled for mid-July. We’ll have an eye on him until then.