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Florida Scheduling Visit With Nation's No. 1 DL

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 4:16 PM ET

The Florida Gators are hot on the trail of one of the top defensive linemen in the 2026 class, even if he is already committed to another school.

After struggling to land commits from the 2026 class, Florida has done a tremendous job of recovering. The Gators now have the No. 12 overall class for the cycle on On3 Sports.

Florida's class is led by four-star receiver Davian Groce, four-star defensive lineman JaReylan McCoy and four-star defensive lineman Kendall Guervil.

Five-star defensive lineman James Johnson has been committed to the Texas Longhorns since July 15, but that is not stopping Florida from scheduling a fall visit with him, per Rivals' Marcus Benjamin.

“I probably will see UF and UM at some point this season," Johnson said. "I haven’t decided on any games, but we’ll see. Miami and Florida are really the schools that are in touch with me.”

Johnson is a four-star prospect and the No. 1 defensive lineman in the Rivals Industry Rankings. Florida has a slight home-field advantage with him, considering he is a native of Miami, Florida.

Head coach Billy Napier secured one five-star commit in the 2025 class, via receiver Vernell Brown III. He has landed a five-star prospect each year dating back to the 2024 cycle.

While the Gators are pursuing the Texas commit, Florida is fending off schools from luring away four-star offensive tackle Tyler Chukuyem. Chukuyem has been committed to the Gators since June 16, but is receiving interest from the Georgia Bulldogs, and is visiting Athens in the fall.

Former Florida head coach Urban Meyer recently weighed in on recruits he was not able to land, naming Clemson Tigers running back CJ Spiller and LSU Tigers cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Recruiting is never easy in the SEC.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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