The USC Trojans seem to be putting up a wall around California in terms of recruiting. With the hiring of GM Chad Bowden, an emphasis on keeping Cali kids home is clearly being pushed, and not only is it resonating, but it is working.
That being said, USC is a national brand, and thus, still must go after the top prospects around the country. One of those top prospects is Florida defensive lineman James Johnson.
The 6’3, 285-pound prospect is the No. 1 DL in On3 rankings and the 4th-ranked DL in industry rankings. Johnson named his Top 10 schools and the USC Trojans made the cut, but based on a recent interview with On3, it sounds like it will be a bit of an uphill battle.
USC Trojans Chasing SEC Schools And Others For James Johnson
Recruiting kids out of SEC is always going to be a challenge. It was a challenge back in the day, and it is a challenge now. But the USC Trojans must swing at a few kids, and they will always hit on a few.
The national talk about the 2025 class centered around the de-committments, specifically the SEC kids, but the Trojans did secure some nice prospects from the southeast, including DL Jahkeem Stewart, OL Alex Payne, S Kendarius Reddick, DL Floyd Boucard, S Stephen Miller, and ATH James Johnson (not to be confused the James Johnson this article is centered around).
The 2026 class features the No. 2 linebacker in the country, who is from Georgia, in Xavier Griffin. So USC can recruit the southeast, it just should never be the main focus.
When talking to On3, Johnson said that, currently, Georgia is in the lead for his commitment.
“I like coach Scott a lot and coach Smart is a big reason why Georgia is on top too. Georgia develops a lot of players, especially on the defensive line and I learned a lot about coach Scott, the scheme and how I could fit in when I was on the visit in January. Before that visit, I wasn’t too high on Georgia. Coach Scott recruited me hard, I went up there and that visit changed things. I saw a lot of Georgia. They have a lot to offer from the business side, the football side and life after football. The people are genuine too.”
It sounds like Syracuse, Miami, and Florida are next on Johnson’s list of leading destinations.
“Florida, Miami, and Syracuse are great schools, I am going back to all three and I like them a lot too. I have visited Florida around seven times and I like how they turned things around. They had a great spark and I think Florida can be a national team,” Johnson said.
Considering Johnson is from Florida, it is not surprising that both Florida and Miami will be finalists in his decision. But there is one key here that can swing the pendulum in the USC Trojans’ favor.
He mentioned “visits” in these conversations and alluded that his visit to Georgia was what really separated them from the pack. When his recruitment is complete, he will have visited Florida eight times, Miami three times, and both Syracuse and Georgia two times.
He has yet to visit USC but has an unofficial visit scheduled for April 19. This is where Lincoln Riley, Chad Bowden, and Coach Henderson can change everything. If the Georgia Bulldogs took the lead when they got Johnson on campus, the USC Trojans have the opportunity to do the same.
I wonder if Aaron Donald will make an appearance that weekend?
Also Read: Oregon Takes Lead In Pursuit Of Elite SoCal Prospect, USC Trojans Have Scheduled Visit