No. 1 defensive lineman James Johnson has committed to the Georgia Bulldogs to play for Kirby Smart and company. This was a battle to the end, but Georgia made sure they were the ones to come out on top.
“Georgia is DLU,” Johnson said. “They are all about development. What made Georgia No. 1 is the way they develop defensive linemen, my relationships with the coaches and the fit into their scheme. They run a great defense that really fits the way I play, so I know I can excel there. That is what it came down to,” he said to On3 (Subscription needed).
Johnson took his official visit to Georgia back on May 30. He has taken three visits since. He was at Miami on June 6 and then Florida on June 13. Texas got the last crack at him on June 20 to complete his official visits. Miami and Texas were the biggest competitors to get the highly-recruited defensive lineman.
Johnson plays high school football for Northwestern High School in Miami, Florida. Miami Northwestern is an NFL producing powerhouse. It previously produced Georgia defensive backs Divaad Wilson (who transferred to UCF) and Deandre Baker.
The 6-foot-3, 285-pound defensive lineman is the No. 47 recruit in the class of 2026. Johnson is the No. 6 ranked recruit in Florida. He’s one of Georgia’s highest ranked commitments in the 2026 recruiting cycle.
Johnson’s commitment vaults Georgia to the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, per 247Sports. Georgia is now only ranked behind the USC Trojans. Georgia has 24 commitments in the class of 2026.
