Just days before the 2026 season opener, South Carolina has made a roster addition. The Gamecocks landed a commitment from Appalachian State cornerback Ethan Johnson , according to On3's Pete Nakos. Johnson enters his fifth season of eligibility, returning to college football due to a TRO in the state of Louisiana .
To this point, every year for Johnson has been at Appalachian State. He joined the program four years ago as a three-star prospect and the No. 1959 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class , according to the Rivals Industry Ranking , a weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting media companies. Cornelius (NC) William Amos Hough is where Johnson played high school football.
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Once he got on campus, Appalachian State made him a big part of the rotation. Johnson played in 47 games for the Mountaineers, 39 of which were starts. Two of those starts were as a true freshman before seeing the role grow and grow.
Johnson eventually became one of the Sun Belt's top cornerbacks. For the 2023 season, a second-team All-Sun Belt honor was awarded to him. Something similar took place in 2025, earning third-team All-Sun Belt honors.
It's easy to see why South Carolina was interested in adding Johnson to the roster. This was after he went through the NFL Draft process as well, only to not get selected. Once college football became an option again, you have to imagine he garnered plenty of interest. Ultimately, South Carolina won out.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3's Transfer Portal wire . The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
Johnson will need to get on campus and ingrain himself in the program quite quickly. South Carolina opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5, hosting Kent State . The following Saturday brings a second nonconference showdown against Towson . Really, Sept. 19 is when the lights turn on for the Gamecocks. Mississippi State comes to Williams-Brice Stadium to open SEC play.
South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer will be hoping Johnson can make some kind of impact. A week or so ago, adding a player to the roster was not even really a possibility. Eligibility rules appear set to benefit a few teams, and Beamer opted to take full advantage of the situation.
