Wednesday marked the beginning of the traditional signing period for high school seniors, and Syracuse football picked up a commitment from an under-the-radar defensive back from the Sunshine State.
According to the team's X account, 2026 defensive back Terrance Johnson of the American Heritage Schools has signed with the Orange. A huge congrats and welcome from 'Cuse Nation to Terrance!
American Heritage has campuses in Plantation, Fla., and Delray Beach, Fla. In the 2025 season, the Patriots went 9-5 overall and won the Florida High School Athletic Association ("FHSAA") Class 4A state championship.
DART: Talented 2026 safety Terrance Johnson out of Florida's American Heritage School, has signed with Syracuse football, the team announced. A huge congrats and welcome @TJOHNSONIII! Story coming soon. 🧡 https://t.co/EIJ0XK5rKl
— InsideTheLoudHouse (@LoudHouseFS) February 4, 2026
As a senior, the 6-foot-2, 160-pound Johnson, a safety, tallied 32 solo tackles, 59 total tackles, one tackle for a loss, 11 interceptions, one fumble recovery and two forced fumbles, according to MaxPreps.
— Terrance Johnson (@TJOHNSONIII) February 3, 2026
He also scored touchdowns on an interception and a fumble recovery. According to an article by the Miami Herald, for the 2025 season, Johnson was named the Broward 4A-1A defensive player of the year.
Syracuse football landed a stellar 2026 DB on national signing day.
Johnson is the Orange's 27th signee at the high school level in the team's record-setting 2026 prep class. Per social media, he recently took a visit to the Hill. Syracuse football's 2026 cycle is No. 34 nationally via the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, headlined by five-star wide receiver Calvin Russell III and a half-dozen signees who are rated four stars.
It's also important to note that of SU's 27 commits in its 2026 prep cycle, seven of them hail from Florida, which arguably has the most high school football talent in the nation. A lot of credit goes to head coach Fran Brown and general manager Tommy Caparole in that regard.
According to his X page, Johnson's full scholarship offer sheet also has included Oregon State, South Florida, UMass, Wofford and Middle Tennessee State. While he's not nationally ranked by recruiting services, undeniably, Johnson has talent and will further bolster the 'Cuse secondary for the upcoming 2026 term.
Regarding the Orange's secondary, starting cornerbacks Chris Peal, a redshirt sophomore, and Demetres Samuel Jr., a freshman, are returning. Between the team's 2026 prep class and its transfer cycle, the 'Cuse has brought on board at least six other defensive backs, although Syracuse football lost numerous DBs to either graduation or the transfer portal following a 3-9 mark in the 2025 campaign.