Gophers Reportedly Set Visit With No. 2 Minnesota Recruit in 2027 Class

Cretin-Derham Hall defensive end Clarence 'C.J.' Johnson is the top uncommitted high school player in Minnesota for the class of 2027. He hasn't been offered a scholarship from the Gophers yet, but he will be on campus for a visit later this month, according to Rivals recruiting analyst Allen Trieu.

Cretin-Derham Hall EDGE C.J. Johnson has his spring visits set. Several of these schools offered in the winter.

Kansas is the lone official for June so far.https://t.co/dAxhkw8fr8 pic.twitter.com/gmlbSKIM2I
— Allen Trieu (@AllenTrieu) March 9, 2026

Johnson has been a fast-rising prospect since his first offer came from Miami (FL) in January. He has since picked up offers from North Dakota State, Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Georgia Tech, among others. He's a four-star prospect, the 274th-overall player and the second-ranked player in Minnesota, according to the 247Sports Composite.

Johnson attended the Gophers' team camp last June, so he does have a relationship with the coaching staff, but they haven't offered him a scholarship yet. His March 24th visit will be an unofficial stop before seeing Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Penn State. There's a good chance his Gophers offer could come on that visit.

Listed at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, he has some of the highest potential in the entire state. If Minnesota is able to add Johnson alongside Wayzata defensive tackle Eli Diane, their 2027 defensive line could look scary. Ultimately, it's a good sign to see the Gophers are in contact with one of the state's top players.

Minnesota already has four of the top eight players from the state committed to its 2027 class with Diane, and Taye Reich, David Mack and Jett Feeney from Moorhead. P.J. Fleck has made huge improvements with recruiting the state of Minnesota, and adding a player like Johnson would be another huge recruiting win.

Current 2027 commits (6 players)