Georgia Bulldogs lose No. 1 DL commit from class of 2026 to SEC foe Texas Longhorns
Just a day ago, the Georgia Bulldogs appeared at risk of losing top 2026 defensive lineman James Johnson to the Florida Gators. But by Tuesday afternoon, the situation took an unexpected turn, and Johnson ended up flipping his commitment to another SEC rival. According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Johnson decommitted from Georgia and is now […]
Just a day ago, the Georgia Bulldogs appeared at risk of losing top 2026 defensive lineman James Johnson to the Florida Gators. But by Tuesday afternoon, the situation took an unexpected turn, and Johnson ended up flipping his commitment to another SEC rival.
According to On3’s Hayes Fawcett, Johnson decommitted from Georgia and is now headed to the Texas Longhorns.
"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)," Fawcett wrote.
Depending on the outlet, James Johnson is listed as either a four- or five-star prospect, but one thing is consistent across the board: he's ranked as the No. 1 defensive lineman in the class of 2026.
This is definitely a tough blow for Georgia, especially after also missing out on the nation’s No. 1 overall linebacker, Tyler Atkinson, who chose Texas over the Bulldogs on Tuesday.
There is, however, a silver lining for the Dawgs, who are projected to land four-star linebacker Nick Abrams this week.
Georgia Bulldogs 2026 Commits
Georgia currently boasts the nation’s No. 2 recruiting class and has 28 players committed to their recruiting class of 2026:
- 4-star EDGE Khamari Brooks
- 4-star Tight End Brayden Fogle
- 4-star Defensive Lineman Preston Cary
- 4-star Defensive Lineman PJ Dean
- 4-star Cornerback Chace Calicut
- 4-star Wide Receiver Craig Dandridge
- 4-star Running Back Jae Lamar
- 4-star Linebacker Shadarius Toodle
- 4-star Offensive Tackle Ekene Ogbok
- 4-star Cornerback Caden Harris
- 5-star Kicker Harran Zureikat
- 5-Star Punt Returner Wade Register
- 4-star Offensive Lineman Zykie Helton
- 5-star Tight End Kaiden Prothro
- 4-star Cornerback Justin Fitzpatrick
- 4-star Safety Tyriq Green
- 4-star Defensive Lineman Carter Luckie
- 4-star Wide Receiver Ryan Mosely
- 4-star Safety Jordan Smith
- 5-star Quarterback Jared Curtis
- 3-star Offensive Tackle Graham Houston
- 3-star EDGE Corey Howard
- 3-star Offensive Lineman Zachary Lewis
- 4-star Tight End Lincoln Keys
- 3-star Safety Kealan Jones
- 3-star Defensive Lineman Seven Cloud
- 4-star Safety Zech Fort
- 3-star Wide Receiver Brady Marchese
