The Gonzaga Bulldogs have mostly focused their recent recruiting trips on the class of 2024, extending an offer to Tacoma point guard Zoom Diallo and expressing interest in guys like Jamari Phillips, Carter Bryant, and Prolific Prep stars Yves Missi and Paul McNeil.
However, they were reportedly back in on a high profile target in the class of 2023, guard AJ Johnson, who members of the staff reportedly went to go see recently according to 247Sports’ Travis Branham.
Johnson plays at powerhouse Donda Academy in Simi Valley, California. The six-foot-five combo guard is ranked No. 15 in the class of 2023, per 247’s composite rankings, and has over 20 offers already on the table.
Schools interested in Johnson’s services include LSU, Louisville, Kansas, USC, NC State, Texas, Creighton, Miami, and Tennessee, among others.
Gonzaga currently has just one player committed in the class of 2023, combo guard Dusty Stromer, although they are in on a handful of other high profile targets including Kaden Cooper, Wesley Yates, and Jacob McFarland.
Adding any of those players into the mix would be a huge boost for the future of Mark Few’s program, and sneaking in late and snagging a commitment from Johnson would be the icing on the cake.
Andy hosts the Locked on Zags and Locked on College Basketball podcasts, and serves Locked On in a marketing/digital content creator role as well. He lives just outside Portland with his wife Jenna and dog, Tillie.