Blue-chip 2026 DL has Florida among top schools after recent visit

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Florida football hosted its annual Grill in the Ville recruiting event last Saturday and the results coming out of the weekend have been impressive for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff. Thanks to their red-carpet efforts, the Gators have gained a lot of ground in the next two recruiting classes.

Among the many visitors was four-star defensive lineman [autotag]James Johnson[/autotag] out of North Fort Myers (Florida) in the 2026 cycle. The 6-foot-2-inch, 260-pound trench warrior has been rising in the recruiting rankings of late, as all four major scouting publications had no data on him before the cookout event in Gainesville.

Now, having visited campus several times prior and with his latest stop in the Swamp under his belt, Johnson has the Orange and Blue high on his top schools list early on in his courtship with top institutions.

Johnson on Grill in the Ville visit

“Experiencing it, we did the scavenger hunt, and I really enjoyed that. Bonding with some people there that could be my future teammates,” Johnson told Swamp247.

“I got to bond with the coaches. Speak with Coach (Gerald) Chatman and coach (Luis Mcleod). I got to spend some time with Coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] too. I just enjoyed it.”

Florida’s message to Johnson

“Their message was really just how they are trying to get me to be a Gator,” he said of the coaches. “That was really it for them. I liked getting around Coach Napier.”

As part of a series of ice-breaker events, the Gators had a handful of competitions for the visitors to participate in, which helped Johnson feel a connection with Florida’s HC.

“One of the competitions was a rap battle, and he watched us do it. We had a part in the rap that we talked about him and we thought it was funny. I talked with him while we were eating, and it was good.”

He has also nurtured a…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/blue-chip-2026-dl-florida-152104006.html

Author : Gators Wire

Publish date : 2024-08-03 15:21:04

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