Top DL Recruit in 2026 Class Announces Commitment Date

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Hunter Hodies | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 7:49 PM ET

One of the top defensive lineman recruits in the 2026 recruiting class has announced his commitment date.

Per On3's Hayes Fawcett , four-star defensive lineman James "JJ" Johnson will announce his commitment this Saturday, June 28. He is set to choose between the Florida Gators, Georgia Bulldogs, Miami Hurricanes, and Texas Longhorns.

Johnson goes to Northwestern High School in Miami, Florida, and is the tenth-best recruit in Florida, per 247Sports composite rankings. He is the eighth-best DL recruit in the country and the No. 69 overall recruit.

He would be a big get for any of these four programs as they try to strengthen their recruiting classes for next year. The Bulldogs have the fourth-best 2026 recruiting class in the country, followed by the Hurricanes (sixth-best), Longhorns (tenth-best), and Gators (16th-best), per 247Sports.

This would especially be a nice win for the Gators after finishing the 2024 season with an 8-5 record. They already have seven four-star recruits in their 2026 class, and Johnson would be the eighth if he chooses them.

The Longhorns are trying to steal this commitment from enemy territory and already have eight four-star and two five-star recruits in their 2026 class. They're coming off a 2024 season that saw them get to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff before losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

It will be fun to watch those two teams meet again in Columbus to open the 2025 season on August 30.

Johnson's commitment will be one to track going into the weekend. Let's see where he decides to go.

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

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