4-star Defensive Lineman Flips His Commitment from Georgia to Texas

The nation's No. 69 rated player in the Class of 2026 flipped his commitment from the Bulldogs to the Longhorns on Tuesday afternoon.

James Johnson, a defensive lineman for the North Fort Myers High School, has flipped his college commitment from Georgia to Texas / Andrew West/The News-Press/USA Today Network / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Four-star senior defensive lineman James Johnson, out of Miami Northwestern High School announced he has flipped his commitment from the University of Georgia to the University of Texas on Tuesday afternoon.

Johnson had been committed to the University of Georgia since the end of June, giving the Longhorns a great chance at bolstering one of the top defensive line units in all of college football in the 2026 season, where they added four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland, three-star Dylan Berymon, and four-star Corey Wells.

"It's a great program, so everything stood out," Johnson told 247Sports after he visited Texas back in April. "I just liked how they run their defense. I went over the plays and all that, and I could fit into it well; that's what I liked. But what stood out was Coach (Baker). He's a real, genuine guy; he rants to recruit you and wants to coach you, that's what I liked."

Johnson is the second commit to join the University of Texas, after five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson announced his commitment on ESPN's Pat McAfee Show this afternoon he is heading to Austin next season.

As a junior last season, Johnson racked up 60 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and five sacks for North Fort Myers. In two seasons with the Red Knights, Johnson tallied 111 total tackles, 42 tackles for loss, and 12 sacks.

Johnson is a 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman, where he is rated as the No. 69 overall player in the nation, the No. 8 defensive lineman, and the No. 10 overall ranked prospect in the state of Florida in the Class of 2026, according to 247Sports.

247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins on Johnson: "Explosive defensive tackle with all the fixings to make a living up front. More of a one-gap player than he is a two-gap player at this stage, but has the mass to dock in the middle. Added almost 25 pounds to a frame that stretches just over 6-foot-2 between sophomore and junior seasons and should eventually carry 300 pounds or more. Owns some of the best throwing metrics in the Sunshine State for his class and that lower-body twitch constantly shows up on tape as he shoots out of his stance and is quick to put opponents on their heels. Raw upper-body strength allows him to club his way around obstacles while a near 82-inch wingspan makes it difficult for blockers to establish initial hand positioning. Can get caught playing with a higher pad level and will fade for stretches during games, but hard to overlook push-back power and motor when it has been primed. Likely to face an initial adjustment period as he will see a significant jump in competition when he arrives at the college of his choice, but projects as a potential difference-maker at the point of attack for a College Football Playoff contender that can be stationed at different spots across the line."

Miami Northwestern opens up the 2025 season where they'll face Lakeland in the preseason classic on Saturday, August 16th at Vero Beach High School, followed by a showdown against Orange Lutheran (California) on Saturday, August 23rd at Traz Powell Stadium.

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