High-scoring guard and top 50 recruit in 2027 class on official visit to Gonzaga

The Zags' first official visit in the 2027 class is taking place this weekend

Milwaukee Juneau guard Dooney Johnson (1) elevates to block a shot against Milwaukee Hamilton in a game Friday, January 17, 2025, at MacDowell Montessori School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. | Dave Kallmann / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For the third time in the month of October, the Gonzaga Bulldogs will have a recruit on campus taking in a basketball game at the McCarthey Athletic Center.

Dooney Johnson, a 6'5 guard from Milwaukee, is on campus for an official visit and will be in attendance for Gonzaga's exhibition game against Western Oregon on Monday night. It's yet another opportunity for the Kennel Club to cheer on a high school recruit this month, which first happened back on Oct. 4 at Kraziness in the Kennel for center Sam Funches, and again on Oct. 19 against Northwest for small forward Luca Foster.

Both Funches and Foster committed to Gonzaga, joining German guard Jack Kayil in the 2026 class.

Johnson is the team's priority target in the 2027 class, with the Zag staff pursuing him early in the cycle and extending a scholarship offer in mid-July. The team sent assistant coach Zach Norvell Jr out to visit Johnson in Milwaukee — hoping the Midwest connection between the two would help Gonzaga's chances of landing the versatile guard.

The 4-star guard is ranked No. 41 in the 2027 class at 247Sports, with ESPN (No. 28) and Rivals (No. 30) even higher on the 6'5 playmaker. Wisconsin, Marquette, Indiana, and Missouri are a few of the many other programs interested in Johnson, who shone brightly at Peach Jam this summer.

Johnson had a 30-point game during Peach Jam back in July and showed an innate ability to use his body to draw contact and get to the free-throw line. In just two games at Peach Jam, Johnson took 25 free throws and drilled 21 of them for a stellar 84% mark.

Gonzaga will hope for more magic from the Kennel Club, which played a role in both Funches and Foster committing this month.

The Zags have a handful of known targets in the 2027 class in addition to Johnson. Jalen Davis, a 6'3 guard from Bremerton, WA, has an offer from Gonzaga and would be among the highest rated players to commit to Mark Few's program — coming in at No. 18 overall in the class at 247Sports.

Gonzaga is also after 6'6 wing DeMarcus Henry, the No. 16-ranked player in the class who is set to play at Compass Prep in Arizona this year — the same school where Davis Fogle finished his high school career.

6'11 center Darius Wabbington, No. 31 in the class, is also a target for Few and the Zags, along with 6'5 wing Gene Roebuck from California, who is No. 48 at 247Sports.