Miami Hurricanes have the attention of local five-star Texas Longhorns commit, and they have a golden opportunity to flip his pledge
Miami is working to keep a huge talent home.
Mario Cristobal and his staff worked hard to try to convince Miami Northwestern five-star DL James Johnson to stay home. Unfortunately for the Miami Hurricanes, Johnson did not buy in, instead pulling the trigger on the Texas Longhorns back on July 15.
However, things might not be wrapped up for the number one defensive lineman. Johnson told Rivals recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong that he’s still considering Miami and that they’re on his mind.
What’s more, the Hurricanes have the perfect opportunity to make a strong sales pitch to the local star recruit, as he will be in attendance at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, August 31 when the Hurricanes and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish get their respective seasons underway.
The 6’2″, 285-pound Johnson is as big as fish as it gets for Miami as far as the remainder of the 2026 cycle. He ranks with Rivals as the #10 overall player (#42 Rivals industry rankings), the #1 defensive lineman, and the #2 player in the state of Florida.
If Miami could flip Johnson, it would be huge for the Hurricanes in a couple of respects. Obviously, adding Johnson would be massive for their roster for years to come, and he would be far and away the highest rated defensive player in their 2026 class. The next highest is his Northwestern teammate edge Jordan Campbell, who is the #185 rated player in Rivals’ industry rankings. He would be the Canes’ second-highest recruit behind Jackson Cantwell (#3 in Rivals’ industry rankings).
But flipping Johnson would surely push the Hurricanes into the top 10 in the team rankings. Miami currently sits just outside the rankings at #11.
We’ll find out soon enough if the Hurricanes can work to convince Johnson to stay home, as the season is just over a week away. If the 2025 atmosphere is anywhere close to what it was the last time the teams met at Hard Rock Stadium in 2017, it should be an electric environment for Johnson and the rest of the recruits in attendance to witness.
