Texas Receives Major News on Nation’s No. 1 DL on Tuesday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Brendan Howe | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 6:39 PM ET

The rich got much richer on Tuesday as Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns earned the commitment of a second five-star Class of 2026 recruit within six hours.

“BREAKING: Five-Star DL James ‘JJ’ Johnson has Flipped his Commitment from Georgia to Texas, he tells me for @rivals,” Hayes Fawcett wrote Tuesday on X. “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).”

Johnson was a headache for opposing offensive linemen last season at North Fort Myers High School, piling up 60 tackles — nearly half of which for a loss — five sacks and five quarterback hits in nine games. He transferred to Miami Northwestern ahead of his senior season.

Johnson previously pledged to join Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs just over a week after officially visiting the Longhorns on June 20.

“Explosive defensive tackle with all the fixings to make a living up front,” 247Sports director of scouting wrote in a scouting report. “Hard to overlook push-back power and motor when it has been primed. … 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.”

Texas’ gain comes at Smart’s expense, much like five-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson’s Longhorns addition did earlier in the day. Atkinson grew up a 45-minute drive from Athens, but decided he wanted to wear burnt orange instead of staying home.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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