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The No. 1 2026 Defensive Lineman James Johnson List Miami in his Top 10

James Johnson is one of the best players in the country and the No. 1 defensive lineman in the 2026 class and has listed his top 10 schools he would consider attending.
Justice Sandle|
James Johnson, right, a defensive lineman for the North Fort Myers High School football team practices with teammates on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024.
James Johnson, right, a defensive lineman for the North Fort Myers High School football team practices with teammates on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. | Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Miami (FL) Hurricanes

The top-ranked defensive lineman in the 2026 class per On3 has narrowed his top schools down to 10 according to On3's Hayes Fawcett.

James "JJ" Johnson, a consensus four-star recruit from North Fort Myers High School and Cape Coral, Fla., and has listed Miami in his top 10 schools.

He also list Georgia, Florida, Florida State, USC, Syracuse, Penn State, Texas, and Colorado in his top 10 as well.

The Miami Hurricanes begin to turn their attention to the 2026 class. They already have three commits and currently have the No. 31 class in the country according to 247 Sports. They are ranked No. 13 on On3, so it is hard to judge where they stand but with more blue-ship recruits looking at Miami in a new light, that can easily change.

Class of 2026 Commitments

  1. CB Camdin Portis, 6-foot, 165 lbs. - Charlotte, North Carolina (Committed 10/27/2024)
  2. LB Jordan Campbell, 6-foot-2, 200 lbs. - Opa Locka, Florida (Committed 11/21/2023)
  3. QB Dereon Coleman, 5-foot-11, 165 lbs. - Orlando, Florida (Committed 07/03/2024)

Check out the Miami football recruiting tracker for a full breakdown of the 2026 classes and more.

Read More Recruiting News From Miami Hurricanes On SI:

Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University and is the site lead for Miami Hurricanes on SI. He can be reached at justice.sandle111@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter@Justice_News5.

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Justice Sandle
JUSTICE SANDLE

Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.

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