It is not often that Iowa doesn't secure a legacy prospect, especially on the defensive side of the football.
Phil Parker has been a stalwart for the Iowa defense and coaching staff since joining the program in 1999, and he continues to develop prospects into NFL-caliber players.
Two prime examples of Parker's ability to develop players are Jack Campbell and Cooper DeJean, who both earned NFL First-Team All-Pro selections last season.
Any prospect would be lucky to join the Iowa defense, but the allure of playing football in Florida and close to home was too much for a top 2027 defensive lineman prospect who recently shunned the Hawkeyes.
2027 DL Prospect Josh Johnson dropped Iowa from his top choices list
Iowa was very much in the running for a top 2027 Florida defensive lineman prospect, and even though he has family ties to the program, he decided to remove the program from his top choices list.
NEWS: Class of 2027 DL Josh Johnson is down to Florida and Miami, he tells me for @Rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 10, 2026
The 6’5 270 DL from Key West, FL is one of the top defensive linemen in the Sunshine State
Where Should He Go?https://t.co/UGzk9Ypgy1 pic.twitter.com/mC3a48rT3q
In early February, Johnson had the Hawkeyes in his top six, but a month later, he removed them from contention.
Johnson, a Key West, Florida native, has ties to the program, as both his grandpa and uncle played football at the University of Iowa.
Johnson wants to stay closer to home, narrowing his list to just Miami and Florida, in disconcerting news for the Iowa program.
As the 2027 recruiting cycle ramps up, 247Sports currently ranks Johnson as a three-star prospect, Florida's No. 86 overall prospect, and the No. 95 defensive lineman prospect in the 2027 recruiting class.
While Johnson snubbing the Hawkeyes stings, it isn't the end of the world, because the program is still in play for multiple top recruits in the class.