Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian. Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Texas Longhorns take another shot at Georgia by flipping 4-star DL James Johnson

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 7:56 PM ET

The Texas Longhorns are on a roll on the 2026 recruiting trail, and right now, it's coming at the expense of the Georgia Bulldogs.

Early Tuesday afternoon, 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson — a Top 10 recruit in the country — committed to Texas over Georgia and others. Atkinson, from Loganville, Georgia, was a massive in-state target for the Bulldogs.

To add insult to injury for UGA, a few hours later, 4-star defensive lineman James Johnson flipped his commitment from Georgia to Texas.

Johnson had been committed to Georgia for just a short time, since June 28. He was in Austin this past weekend, though, and that time with the Longhorns' program led to a huge flip.

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

To say that this is a big win for Texas and a huge loss for UGA would be an understatement. Though Johnson had only been committed to Georgia for a few weeks, he was one of the better players in the Bulldogs' 2026 class.

Johnson checks in at nearly 6-foot-3, 285 pound and is ranked as the No. 8 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite.

As a junior in 2024 at North Fort Myers high school, Johnson notched 60 tackles (including 29 tackles for loss), five sacks and five quarterback hits in nine games. He transferred to Miami Northwestern High School ahead of his senior season and should be one of the top defensive players in the state this year. According to the 247Sports Composite, he's the No. 10 ranked recruit in Florida.

Texas now has 20 commitments for 2026 and the Longhorns' class is quickly moving up the national rankings. With the addition of Johnson, Texas' class is ranked No. 6 nationally.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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