Syracuse football scores visits from top-flight, 4-star defensive lineman James Johnson

Syracuse football continues to recruit the Sunshine State hard, and the Orange staff appears to be a significant contender for an elite defensive lineman who hails from Florida.

Per top 247Sports analyst Mike McAllister, in a post on X, 2026 four-star defensive lineman James Johnson plans to visit the Orange program twice in the coming months, which is awesome to hear.

In early January of this year, McAllister's 247Sports colleague, top national analyst Tom Loy, said in a post on X that the 'Cuse was among those suitors in solid shape so far in the recruitment of the 6-foot-4, 280-pound Johnson, a standout junior at North Fort Myers High School in North Fort Myers, Fla.

According to posts on X, Johnson holds more than 40 offers, and some of the schools standing out to him, besides the Orange, include Georgia, Florida State, Florida, Southern California and Miami. The Syracuse football staff, led by head coach Fran Brown, offered a scholarship to Johnson on May 1, 2024.

Consensus four-star DL James Johnson will visit Syracuse football twice.

Johnson visited the 'Cuse in June of last year. In mid-January of 2025, the Syracuse football staff visited Johnson at his high school amid a contact recruiting period.

Within the 2026 class, the industry-generated On3 Industry Ranking has Johnson at No. 162 overall, No. 14 at defensive lineman and No. 23 in Florida. Currently, his highest 2026 rankings come via On3, which places him at No. 118 nationwide, No. 11 at defensive lineman and No. 17 in Florida.

Over at the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, Johnson is hovering near No. 200 around the country in the 2026 cycle.

While Brown and his top-flight staff continue to emphasize the Northeast corridor as a recruiting focus for the program, Syracuse football coaches are also faring well in numerous other states nationwide, including Florida.

The Orange's large 2025 class at the prep level includes a handful of signees who play high school football in the Sunshine State, and the team's 2026 and 2027 cycles also feature some verbal pledges from Florida prospects.

As I've outlined in various columns of late, the 'Cuse coaching staff is also seeing some highly ranked targets in the 2026 and 2027 classes including Syracuse football in their recent list cuts, and news has also come out regarding a range of recruits also setting official or unofficial visits to the Hill.