No. 1 ranked DL could be on flip watch from Texas to Miami

Miami remains in the hunt for James Johnson, the blue-chip defensive lineman who flipped from Georgia to Texas in mid-July. The 2026 standout is signaling that he is likely to return to Coral Gables for the Hurricanes’ Aug. 31 showdown with Notre Dame. Johnson told Rivals that "Miami is still on my mind heavy" and that he’s been discussing a Miami visit for the ND game, while keeping his recruitment "open".

Johnson, who now plays for Miami Northwestern after starting his high-school career at North Fort Myers, is widely regarded as one of the nation’s premier recruits. On3 ranks him the No. 1 defensive tackle nationally in 2026 and a top-10 overall prospect.

"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... Younger for the cycle, turning 17 years old in June before his senior season."

Charles Power

Last fall he stuffed the stat sheet at North Fort Myers with 60 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 5 sacks and 5 QB hurries in nine games. Johnson originally committed to Georgia on June 28 and then flipped to Texas on July 15. Despite that pledge, Miami and Florida are still pressing and might just have an inside shot to get him to flip again. The Gators are a wildcard here but if Johnson decides to stay in the state of Florida, Miami might just have the edge.