Colorado football lands top HBCU defender in portal

Colorado football just picked up one of the top defenders from HBCU national champion FAMU. Linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr. has committed to Colorado football after a stint in the transfer portal.

The 6’2, 240 pound linebacker from Orlando, FL was a major part of the FAMU defense over the past few seasons. He is coming off a career-best season in 2023 where he registered 73 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 13 games as the team won the SWAC title, Celebration Bowl and was selected HBCU national champions. Chaney Jr. had ten or more tackles in three games last season, including a 10-tackle (seven solo), two tackle for loss, one sack game against FBS South Florida.

Last season came on the heels of a productive 2022 season in which Chaney Jr. finished second on the team with 55 tackles — including a career-high 11 tackles in win versus Southern. He recorded 13 tackles in eleven games as a freshman, including five against UAPB.

Johnny Chaney Jr. is one of several key players who have departed the Florida A&M defense since Willie Simmons left to take over as a position coach at Duke University. Also departing from FAMU was recruiting coordinator Devin Rispress, who ended up joining Deion Sanders’ Colorado football staff. Now he’s got a big piece of the tough FAMU defense with him in the Rocky Mountains.

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