Georgia gets revenge against Miami with No. 1 DL commitment

Elite defensive tackle James "JJ" Johnson, a 6‑foot‑3, 285‑pound force from Northwestern High in Fort Myers, FL., has committed to Georgia. The decision ends a race with Texas, Florida, and Miami. Johnson is widely ranked the No. 1 defensive lineman in the Class of 2026 by On3.

On3’s Industry Rankings place Johnson at the top DL spot nationwide, and among the Top 15 overall for 2026. Rivals lists him as a four-star with a 5.9 rating, slotting him 20th nationally and 4th at his position.

Johnson’s recruitment included an official visit to Georgia on May 30, followed by visits to Miami on June 6, Florida on June 13, and Texas on June 20. ESPN and On3 analysts trended Georgia as the favorite, with On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine showing a strong Dawgs advantage heading into decision day.

Johnson had 60 tackles, including 29 tackles for loss, five sacks and five quarterback hurries over nine games this past season. He now joins a talented unit including fellow DL commits Seven Cloud, Carter Luckie, and Corey Howard.

Miami obviously would have liked to bring Johnson to Coral Gables but recently they got major wins with the commitments of 4-star Anthony Kennedy and 4-star EDGE Asharri Charles. On3 ranks Charles as the No. 194 overall prospect, No. 25 EDGE nationally, and the No. 25 player in the state of Florida for the Class of 2026. 247Sports puts him around No. 147 overall and No. 15 at his position. They also listed among the top 25 EDGE prospects and recruits in Florida. According to On3’s Industry Ranking, Kennedy is ranked No. 385 overall, No. 36 among defensive linemen in the 2026 cycle and No. 5 in Arkansas.

With this commitment, On3 ranks Georgia No. 2 in the 2026 recruiting rankings and Miami currently sits at No. 9. Georgia has 26 commits, with one 5-star, 19 four-stars and five 3-stars. Miami has 19 commits, with one 5-star, 11 four-stars, and seven 3-stars.