Elite talent is what Texas football craves and so Tuesday was a huge day for the Longhorns.
While head coach Steve Sarkisian was busy talking with reporters at SEC Media Days in Atlanta, the program he leads was busy stealing away some high-profile talent from the local high-profile program. The insane day was capped off with a bang when 4-star defensive lineman James “JJ” Johnson flipped his commitment from Georgia to Texas.
Johnson’s switch to Texas was reported late Tuesday afternoon by On3. The 6-foot-3, 285-pound talent is a South Florida gem from Miami who gives the Longhorns’ defensive line a huge upgrade for the 2026 season. Johnson had been committed to Georgia since June 28, but just a few weeks later he’s apparently choosing the burnt orange of Texas instead.
Getting Johnson to flip his commitment was the 2nd big recruiting victory of the day for Texas, and it was 2nd one at Georgia’s expense. Earlier on Tuesday, Texas got a commitment from 5-star linebacker Tyler Atkinson, a Georgia native who chose the Longhorns over — you guessed it — Georgia, among other programs.
Back to Johnson, who is the 69th-ranked player from the Class of 2026, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He’s also the 8th-ranked defensive lineman from the class and the 10th-ranked player from the state of Florida.
Getting Atkinson and Johnson in 1 day was the perfect backdrop for Texas and Sarkisian, who apparently was doing more than just talking with reporters at SEC Media Days.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
