James Johnson is as versatile of a recruit as you will find. The 6-foot athlete from Douglasville, Georgia plays multiple sports and could play on either side of the ball at the next level.

Friday, he announced his commitment to USC where he is expected to eventually line up in the secondary for the Trojans. The three-star prospect has been methodically making his way through the recruiting process this offseason, and eventually he compiled a lengthy offer list.

The Trojans were part of his top five that was released this week alongside Ohio State, Georgia, LSU and UCF.

USC first came into the picture with an offer to the Douglas County senior in January when Trojans defensive back coach Doug Belk made the call. Since then USC has continued to stay involved as other programs jumped into the mix.

Schools from coast to coast eventually began to pursue the versatile two-way prospect including Texas A&M, Louisville, Tennessee, Miami, Texas, Colorado, Ole Miss and Florida State.

Two months ago, Johnson narrowed his focus to 20 schools before trimming it down to five programs this week ahead of his decision.

Johnson is now the 18th commitment for Lincoln Riley's program in the current cycle moving the Trojans up to No. 14 in the Rivals team recruiting rankings for 2025. That is good enough for the No. 4 class in the Big Ten as it currently stands.

He is the third Peach State defensive back to join USC's 2025 class alongside Shamar Arnoux (Carrollton) and Kendarius Reddick (Thomasville County Central).

Five of the 18 members of USC's recruiting class are from Georgia as the staff continues to focus efforts on prospects in the region.

As a junior, Johnson accounted for over 1,700 all-purpose yards and 27 total touchdowns while playing several different roles for his team. He racked up 49 tackles, 6 passes defensed and an interception in 2023.