Four-star DT James Johnson signs with Texas

The Texas Longhorns staff put a big priority on the defensive front in the 2026 cycle, as they went about targeting some elite talent at both the edge and interior defensive line spots. With that said, they truly turned some heads on the recruiting landscape when they were able to flip four-star Miami (Fla.) Northwestern defensive tackle James Johnson from the Georgia Bulldogs in July.

The Longhorns got the final official visit from Johnson in the summer, but he ultimately gave his pledge to Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. That pledge would only last a matter of weeks, as Steve Sarkisian and Kenny Baker kept their foot on the gas and secured the flip from Johnson.

The 6’2.5, 285-pounder also took official visits to Florida, Florida State, and Miami while holding offers from over 40 programs, including Alabama, Auburn, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Texas A&M, and USC, among others.

Johnson is one of the best interior defensive line prospects in the country and was a huge win for the Texas staff. He has now put pen to paper and has officially became a Longhorn.

Johnson is the top-ranked interior defensive line prospect in the state of Florida this cycle, the 87th-ranked prospect overall in the country, and the No. 9 defensive lineman, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings.

Here is some analysis of Johnson from when he flipped from Georgia to Texas back in July:

Johnson might have some of the most violent defensive tackle tape I’ve seen this cycle and that is really saying something. He already possesses good size at his listed 6’2.5 and 285 pounds and has a giant frame that will continue to hold more mass as he continues to develop. Johnson possesses very good quickness off the ball and the trait that stands out the most to me on his film is the power in his hands and how violent he is with them. Johnson absolutely unloads on opposing offensive linemen from snap to snap and is able to stack and shed them with ease. Johnson is regularly jolting offensive linemen backwards into the backfield before discarding them to go pursue the ball carrier. Shows good quickness and COD in pursuit and shows a pretty decent motor for a player his size.

Johnson has a tendency to play high at times, but his play strength and ability to will his way into opposing backfields render it moot. Shows off cartoonish strength at times when he shot puts opposing linemen out of his way. Johnson profiles as a guy that will command double-teams on a regular basis with his ability to wreak havoc upfront. He is one of the best defensive linemen in this class and has the potential to be a menace at the next level if he takes coaching and is right between the ears.

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