Five-star defensive lineman James Johnson has flipped his commitment from Georgia to Texas on Tuesday in a big SEC decision.
The No. 1 defensive line prospect in the country, according to Rivals, will join the Longhorns’ 2026 class.
His change of heart comes just 2 ½ weeks after he chose the Bulldogs over Texas.
BREAKING: Five-Star DL James “JJ” Johnson has Flipped his Commitment from Georgia to Texas, he tells me for @rivals
The 6’3 285 DL from Fort Myers, FL had been Committed to the Bulldogs since June 28th
He’s ranked as the No. 1 DL in ‘26 (per Rivals)https://t.co/VeNJnkpzt9 pic.twitter.com/SSRvRwEkIz
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 15, 2025
“It wasn’t until I committed to Georgia that I realized something was missing,” Johnson told Rivals. “As much as I respect the program and the staff, it just didn’t feel like home. That realization helped me understand that Texas is where my heart is, and where I see myself thriving both on and off the field.”
The 6-foot-2 285-pound defensive lineman also had Florida and Miami in his top four before committing to Georgia the first time.
Texas football recruit James Johnson. North High School
He is ranked as the 10th-best player in his class nationwide on Rivals.
Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium – home of the Longhorns football tam in Austin. 4kclips – stock.adobe.com
Johnson pointed to the coaching staff as the most significant factor in his decision to flip to Texas.
His primary recruiter was Texas defensive line coach Kenny Baker, who joined the program since 2024 and has NFL experience with the Dolphins.
“I love the kind of coach [Baker] is. He knows how to coach, he knows how to teach and he really makes it easy to learn,” Johnson said. “Coach Baker has coached up some great players, and I know he can help me.”
Surprisingly, Johnson was not the only give-star recruit to choose the Longhorns that they reeled in Tuesday.
BREAKING: Five-Star LB Tyler Atkinson has Committed to Texas!
The 6’2 215 LB from Lawrenceville, GA chose the Longhorns over Georgia, Oregon, & Clemson
He’s ranked as the No. 1 LB in the ’26 Class (per Rivals)🤘https://t.co/pnxd0NmN0T pic.twitter.com/M9RCJrz8YU
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 15, 2025
Tyler Atkinson, the top linebacker out of Grayson High School in Georgia, also chose Texas over Georgia.
Texas now has five five-star recruits in its 2026 class.
The only other team to match that is Alabama.
“Texas is doing big things.” Johnson added. “Coach Sark is building a top program. They know how to recruit, they win a lot of games, and they develop players at Texas.”
Johnson will play his senior season at Miami Northwestern High School, a school that’s under scrutiny following the investigation into the head coach and former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who was suspended after providing “impermissible benefits” to players.
The talented team, which also has 2026 five-star Calvin Russell, won the Class 3A championship in Florida under the leadership of Bridgewater, an alumnus of the program.