2026 class four-star prospect Johnnie Jones confirms receiving offer from Manny Diaz's Duke football

Modified Aug 29, 2024 13:21 GMT

Johnnie Jones and Berkeley Prep High School in Bradenton, Florida, started the 2024 football season strong with a 14-0 victory over Boca Ciega on Aug. 17. In this they continued the momentum from their 13-2 record in 2023.

After a 14-28 loss against Clearwater Central Catholic on Aug. 24, the school is hoping to bounce back strongly, and Jones will be a major part of that. The four-star offensive tackle has been gaining huge attention as a top prospect in the 2026 class.

On Wednesday, Manny Diaz's Duke became the latest school to offer Johnnie Jones a spot in their 2026 recruiting class. He tweeted the news:

"Blessed and Thankful to receive an Offer from the University of Duke! Go Blue Devils💙🤍!! #AGTG."

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Rutgers was one of the first programs to show interest, and Jones has spent part of his summer touring nearby college campuses. Other schools that have extended offers include Boston College, Louisville, Penn State, Purdue, Syracuse, West Virginia, South Florida, UCF, Florida Atlantic and Miami.

Johnnie Jones is ranked by On3 as the No. 262 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 23 offensive tackle in the 2026 class and the No. 49 recruit in Florida. 247Sports places him as the No. 137 overall prospect nationally, the No. 11 offensive tackle in the class and the No. 22 recruit in the state.

Florida leads the race for Johnnie Jones' commitment

On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine gives Florida a strong 34.4% chance of landing Johnnie Jones early on. He received an offer from the Gators during the team's first spring scrimmage in April, making them the ninth program to extend him an offer.

Jones has spent time with Florida’s offensive coordinator Rob Sale as well as the other offensive line coaching staff and left with a significant impression:

“They’re great coaches, and they know what they are doing," Jones told 247Sports. "It’s important that I see with them, that all the time they are with their guys. They’re not all over the place. They are specifically with their guys.”

The Gators have three committed players in the 2026 class, which ranks No. 9 in the nation and No. 5 in the Southeastern Conference. Quarterback Will Griffin, cornerback Jaelen Waters and safety Devin Jackson are the members of the class. This strong start in recruiting aligns with the program's emphasis on developing players both on and off the field.

“Just the overall aspect of the school part," Jones said. "What they focus on the most with their players, and making sure that once they are done here, they’re successful in life.”

Jones is also considering other schools, with the Georgia Bulldogs trailing closely at a 30.1% chance of securing his commitment, while USF and UCF are behind at 2.3% and 2.0%, respectively.