Florida football hosted its annual Grill in the Ville recruiting event last Saturday and the results coming out of the weekend have been impressive for [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] and his staff. Thanks to their red-carpet efforts, the Gators have gained a lot of ground in the next two recruiting classes.
Among the many visitors was four-star defensive lineman [autotag]James Johnson[/autotag] out of North Fort Myers (Florida) in the 2026 cycle. The 6-foot-2-inch, 260-pound trench warrior has been rising in the recruiting rankings of late, as all four major scouting publications had no data on him before the cookout event in Gainesville.
Now, having visited campus several times prior and with his latest stop in the Swamp under his belt, Johnson has the Orange and Blue high on his top schools list early on in his courtship with top institutions.
Johnson on Grill in the Ville visit
“Experiencing it, we did the scavenger hunt, and I really enjoyed that. Bonding with some people there that could be my future teammates,” Johnson told Swamp247.
“I got to bond with the coaches. Speak with Coach (Gerald) Chatman and coach (Luis Mcleod). I got to spend some time with Coach [autotag]Billy Napier[/autotag] too. I just enjoyed it.”
Florida’s message to Johnson
“Their message was really just how they are trying to get me to be a Gator,” he said of the coaches. “That was really it for them. I liked getting around Coach Napier.”
As part of a series of ice-breaker events, the Gators had a handful of competitions for the visitors to participate in, which helped Johnson feel a connection with Florida’s HC.
“One of the competitions was a rap battle, and he watched us do it. We had a part in the rap that we talked about him and we thought it was funny. I talked with him while we were eating, and it was good.”
He has also nurtured a relationship with defensive line coach Gerald Chatman over time.
“Coach Chatman knows a lot about the game, and I feel like he’s one of those people who can help me get to the next level. I worked out with him in June, and the things he taught me, I think he can make me one of the top players in the SEC.”
What Johnson likes about the Gators
“I really like their facility, it’s really nice. I like all the things inside of it like the recovery room. It’s all really nice in there, with things like the cryotherapy room.”
But more than the infrastructure, Johnson is about the people who comprise the UF program.
“All that is nice, but I really like the coaches there more. I like spending time with them and talking with them. I feel like they can help me be better.”
Johnson’s top schools
“I would say my top schools right now are Florida, Miami, and Syracuse. I really like UCF too, so you can throw them in there too. With Florida, they are one of the teams that is up there.”
Speaking of Florida and Miami, Johnson plans to stop in the Swamp for the season opener and the Gators’ game against the Texas A&M Aggies later in the schedule.
“I am going to be back for the Florida game against Miami, and then I am going to be at the Florida game against Texas A&M too.”
Recruiting Summary
Johnson is rated at four stars ranked No. 196 overall and No. 22 at his position nationally according to 247Sports while the On3 industry ranking rates him at three stars and ranks him at Nos. 360 and 35, respectively.
On3’s recruiting prediction machine has Florida on top with a 39.9% chance of signing him early on, followed by the South Florida Bulls (12.4%), Miami (10.6%) and Central Florida Knights (8.9%).
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