Mark Few didn’t wait around for the recruiting rankings to catch up to Dooney Johnson, and Gonzaga may have gotten ahead of the curve in a big way.
Johnson, the Bulldogs’ lone commitment in the 2027 class, shot up to No. 11 in the updated Rivals 150 released Tuesday. He’s also the highest-ranked player on the list who has already announced a college choice.
The 6-foot-7 guard committed to Gonzaga almost a year ago, when he was viewed as an intriguing four-star prospect. Since then, his stock has taken off, and the latest jump has pushed him into elite territory.
His summer run with Team Herro on the Nike EYBL circuit helped fuel that rise, according to Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI. Johnson averaged 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and three assists in 23.6 minutes per game across 22 EYBL games. He also picked up first-team All-EYBL honors with DeMarcus Henry, Beckham Black, Cayden Daughtry and Lewis Uvwo.
Johnson’s résumé didn’t stop there. He also stood out at the Pangos All-America Camp, the NBPA Top 100 Camp and Peach Jam, where Team Herro reached the semifinals.
The production is one thing. The frame is another.
At 6-foot-7, Johnson brings the kind of size that lets him function as a jumbo ball-handler rather than a conventional wing. He can get downhill, create for others and hold up across multiple defensive assignments. That versatility is a big part of why his profile keeps climbing.
The shot still needs work. Johnson hit 26.6 percent of his 3-pointers on five attempts per game during EYBL play, and that’s the area opponents will try to test. If that number comes up, he becomes a much harder cover.
Zach Norvell played a major role in getting Johnson to Gonzaga, and the fit makes sense. Norvell was a big guard in his own right, someone who could score, handle the ball and defend during his time with the Bulldogs.
Johnson is the only player currently committed in Gonzaga’s 2027 class, but he may not be alone for long. The Bulldogs are also in the mix for five-star Washington guard Jalen Davis, who checked in at No. 18, and top-50 California wing Gene Roebuck, who landed at No. 44 after a strong summer on the Adidas circuit.
If Gonzaga can land one of those guards, the perimeter foundation starts looking serious. If it gets both, Johnson’s commitment could end up looking even bigger.
For now, though, the Bulldogs can enjoy the fact that they moved early and it paid off. Johnson committed before the rankings spike, and now he looks less like a nice early add and more like a cornerstone.
In Other News...
Gonzagas 2027 Push Could Give Mark Few Something Rare
Gonzagas 2027 recruiting work is starting to look like more than just a long-term placeholder. The class already has committed prospect Dooney Johnson, who recently transferred to a high school in Orlando, Florida, and the Bulldogs are still in the mix for uncommitted targets Jalen Davis and Gene Roebuck. For a program that has built so much of its success on identifying the right fits early, this is the sort of class that can start to shape a roster well before those players ever arrive in Spokane.
What makes it especially interesting for Mark Few is the possibility of building a cleaner path at guard without leaning so heavily on the transfer portal. If Gonzaga can add Davis and Roebuck alongside Johnson, the group could give the Bulldogs a strong backcourt foundation and a different kind of continuity than they have often had in recent years. The pursuit is still unfolding, but the early outline already hints at something rare for Gonzaga, a class that could be developed from the ground up instead of pieced together later. [Read more 🡒]