Syracuse, N.Y. — LSU transfer running back Ju’Juan Johnson has committed to play football at Syracuse, giving the Orange a potential replacement for starter Yasin Willis.

Johnson announced his commitment on Instagram.

Johnson was a third-string back with the Tigers last year as well as the team’s emergency quarterback. He began his career at LSU as a defensive back before being moved quickly to running back.

Johnson, who is listed by LSU at 6-feet and 210 pounds, told Syracuse.com over the weekend that the Orange was recruiting him as a running back. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

Johnson is ranked in the On3.com compotidr rankings as the No. 363 player available in the transfer portal and the No. 40 running back.

Willis is ranked as the No. 305 player available and the No. 30 running back.

Johnson carried the ball 41 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns last season. The Tigers also used him regularly as a pass-catcher and sometimes lined him up a wide receiver, allowing him to catch 17 passes for 72 yards.

That is an area where Johnson seems like he could be a potential upgrade over Willis, a big and physical running back who struggled when used in the passing game.

Willis caught just nine passes for 42 yards, despite playing 70 more snaps on offense than Johnson.

Johnson was a high school quarterback who set state records in Louisiana for total yards in his career (14,451) and total touchdowns (171) while playing with Lafayette Christian.

He was ranked as a four-star prospect and the No. 356 prospect overall in the 247Sports composite rankings coming out of high school as a member of the Class of 2024. During his high school recruitment, he reportedly piled up offers from powerhouse programs including Alabama, Georgia, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M.

Johnson played 251 snaps for LSU last season according to Pro Football, grading out 16th of the team’s 35 players who saw time on offense.

Johnson’s willingness to shift positions based on LSU’s needs earned him a reputation as a team-first player. His weakest area, according to PFF, were pass blocking and run blocking.

He is the second transfer acquisition that Syracuse has made so far season. Both have come from SEC programs. The other is South Carolina tight end Michael Smith, another player who found himself deep on an SEC depth chart, contributing to a transfer.