Several hours after 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson announced his commitment to the Texas Longhorns via the Pat McAfee show, the Texas program received a commitment from another 5-star player. After being committed to Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs since June 28th, James “JJ” Johnson, a Florida native, flipped his commitment to the Longhorns.
Johnson, 6-3, 285 lbs., visited Austin twice with the latest trip taking place on June 20. The Longhorns were high on his list before he ultimately committed to Georgia.
Here’s what Andrew Ivins, Director of Scouting at 247Sports had to say about Johnson’s abilities:
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.
Andrew Ivins (247Sports)
Johnson is listed as the 10th best player in the state of Florida, the 8th best defensive line prospect in the country and the 69th overall player in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Rivals has Johnson listed as the top defensive line recruit in the nation.
With Johnson’s commitment, Texas now has pledges from 20 prospects in the Class of 2026, and has moved up from 8th to 6th overall in the Team Recruiting Rankings per 247Sports.
Hats off to the Longhorns’ defensive line coach Kenny Baker for yielding impressive results on the recruiting trail.
