Colorado football is out to nab the top-ranked defensive lineman for the 2026 class. Deion Sanders and the Buffaloes will get the opportunity to host this prospect come March. But must fend off Miami and USC among others for this four-star recruit.
Colorado is the first spring visit lined up for James “J.J.” Johnson, with Hayes Fawcett of On3 revealing Johnson’s list of future trips Monday. Sanders and the Buffaloes will expect Johnson on March 15.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound interior defender, though, has treks to Coral Gables and Los Angeles on deck too. His Miami visit follows Colorado on March 22. After taking in Syracuse on March 19, USC comes next for Johnson on April 19. He wraps up his spring trips with Florida on April 26.
Miami and USC are the top schools to monitor for Colorado, as all three race to land the nation’s top-ranked defensive lineman out of North Fort Myers High.
Colorado likely to be involved in epic race with Miami, USC
Sanders and the Buffaloes have turned Boulder into a new popular destination for four and five-star prospects. “Coach Prime” reeled in six four-star prospects for the 2025 class. That includes longtime USC pledge Julian Lewis, who flipped to CU on the eve of the December signing period.
Johnson will likely be courted by Sanders. Though the third-year Buffaloes coach also has backup in selling the Buffaloes to Johnson: Miami native and Hurricanes great Warren Sapp plus incoming CU defensive line coach Domata Peko. Both Sapp and Peko bring nearly 30 combined years of NFL experience to Boulder.
Still, “The U” and the “Land of Troy” are two schools worth closely monitoring for multiple reasons. Johnson is currently considered “warm” on Miami per 247Sports. The Hurricanes under head coach Mario Cristobal have established their own aggressive recruiting blueprint. Miami flipped USC five-star edge rusher Hayden Lowe for the ’25 class. The ‘Canes also currently hold no DL commits for the ’26 class — giving Miami plenty of room to land Johnson.
USC is a major lurker for Johnson. The Trojans leapfrogged their way to the No. 1 recruiting class during the weekend of Feb. 21. USC flipped Oregon quarterback commit Jonas Williams on Friday to launch its February recruiting blitz. They then landed four-star edge rusher Simote Katoanga two days later — catapulting USC to the top of the 2026 rankings.
Colorado has plenty of colleges to monitor for Johnson’s services. But Miami and USC loom as arguably the biggest threats based off recent recruiting activity.
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