The hunt for the best players is at its peak before the Spring games. The 2026 recruiting cycle is starting to weigh higher as prospects are locking down their official visits for the upcoming spring and summer. Teams are vying to bring the top prospects in from the portal. With NIL big money getting in the way, the process becomes even more complex and schools seem to be on their edge. One wrong step is one edge given to the lurking contenders! Florida Gators and Miami Hurricanes need to watch out for each of their steps as a four-star prospect defensive lineman is juggling his mind between the two.The star in question is none other than defensive lineman James “JJ” Johnson from North Fort Myers HS, Cape Coral, Florida. He’s the 31st-best player in the state of Florida and a No. 13 overall prospect with 29 TFL in 9 games under his belt. Jameso made his intentions clear in the latest recruiting intel. The prodigy is setting up official, visits to a bunch of schools, including Georgia, Florida, Miami, Colorado Buffs, Syracuse, and Penn State this Spring.The 6-foot-2.5, 285-pound defensive lineman kicks off his visits through Penn State Nittany Lions first on May 16 followed by Syracuse Orange two weeks later on May 30. Johnson will shift his focus back to in-state schools with back-to-back visits to Miami and Florida respectively on June 6th and June 13. One week later, he will be in Athens to check his chance with the Georgia Bulldogs.He isn’t just breaking the move to the media, but also actively engaging with the whole process. To pump the fans up, the athlete has sent a message via Twitter as a pre-visit boost. It reads, ”Looking forward to visiting these schools.”Looking forward to visiting these schools https://t.co/wqHWv9r19k— James “JJ” Johnson 4 (@JamesJohnson_52) February 24, 2025You might see it as a long list of suitors, but if you look closely, the DL scheduled two visits to only three schools: Miami, Florida, and Georgia, clearly hinting at his choice.It’s again between Miami and Florida, reminiscing an epic monologue of the historic rivalry of college football history. The eventual co-incidence only reaffirms the timeless nature of their rivalry. It is so rooted that it comes back in whatever form and shape. While the two teams don’t play regularly anymore, it does not mean they ain’t giving each other the death stare off the field. Both coaching staffs compete for the same pool of recruits and are in rival conferences. But who seems to be on the threshold of a commitment?James Johnson’s review on Miami HurricanesWell, it’s tricky to confirm in this early phase. But Miami and are solidifying their ground like no other. The Hurricanes start to go all in to stack up their 2026 class. They already bagged three commits and currently have the No. 31 class in the country according to 247 Sports. They are ranked No. 13 on On3, and they are picking up the pace even more.And as far as James Johnson is concerned, Miami has been an old hat. They extended an early offer to the standout DL back in June 2024. Following the offer, Johnson has watched Miami play in each of the first two weeks of the regular college football season and had a tremendous experience.One of the most coveted interior defensive linemen in the junior class, Johnson was seemingly overwhelmed by Cristobal’s defense. “They’re in a good spot. They’re doing good,” Johnson said of Miami. “Coach Cristobal got them good. It’s a great program. I like them.”It will be interesting to see if the Canes can add their 4th 2026 recruit on board this summer amid their heavyweight contenders like Florida and Georgia.The post 285lbs No.1 DL Sends 6 Word Message After Triggering In-State Rivalry in Florida appeared first on EssentiallySports.