Get to know 2026 signee and four-star DT James Johnson
Whether you’re a diehard recruiting aficionado in need of a refresher or a casual recruiting fan needing only the particulars, this will be the series for you.
[Sign up for Inside Texas for just $1 for your first week!]
The first national signing day for college football is Wednesday, December 3. This series will give you the chance to familiarize yourself with the next class charged with keeping Texas near the top of the college football world.
To win at a consistently high level requires talented class after talented class. The top-10 2026 class does that following a No. 1 class in 2025.
On the first national signing day, Inside Texas will offer profiles of each member of the 2026 signing class. Up next, James Johnson
The Player: James Johnson, DT, Miami (Fla.) Northwestern
The Rating: 94.09 (four-star)
The Ranking: Johnson is ranked as the No. 87 overall prospect, the No. 8 defensive lineman, and the No. 14 player in Florida in the Rivals Industry Ranking. Rivals ranks Johnson as the No. 50 overall prospect, the No. 5 defensive lineman, and the No. 6 player in Florida.
Top 10
- 1New
Hugh Freeze
'I didn't deliver' for Auburn
- 2Hot
SEC Championship Game
Injury Report: Alabama, Georgia
- 3
National Signing Day
Intel, updates, commitments
- 4Trending
Diego Pavia calls on Trump
Executive Order for CFP
- 5
NIL Battles
Recruits that cashed in
Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning
By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.
The Highlights:
The Recruitment: Texas hosted the Miami four-star in mid-June after trips to Miami, Florida, Florida State, and Georgia. Upon Johnson’s return to his hometown, he picked the Bulldogs and looked like another future stud in Kirby Smart‘s defense.
Then, while Smart was speaking at SEC Media Days in mid-July, the results of a furious push put together by the Longhorns’ ecosystem came to bear. Johnson flipped and delivered one of the biggest recruiting coups of the cycle to the Horns. Since pledging, he’s taken numerous trips to Texas, including for the Arkansas game.
The Quote: “It’s just a better environment and better culture.”
The Projection: Well-rounded prospect with many positive indicators that make him the early favorite for the top defensive lineman in the 2026 cycle. Has a compact build at over 6-foot-2 and around 285 pounds. Owns compensatory length with arms that measure around 33.5 inches. Lives in the backfield on Friday nights. Uses first-step quickness to gain an early advantage on offensive linemen. Shows excellent power at the point of attack, uprooting offensive linemen and disengaging to find the football. Has the skill set to develop into a dangerous interior pass rusher. An elite finisher in the backfield. One of the most productive defensive linemen in the cycle on a per-game basis, racking up 29 tackles for loss in nine contests as a junior. Posted an elite 60-4.5 shot put mark as a junior. Does not have the most imposing frame, but one that is in line with many recent top draft picks at the position. Younger for the cycle, turning 17 years old in June before his senior season.
The Final Word: Quite possibly the biggest recruiting coup in the 2026 class signs as Texas premier defensive tackle prospect.
