Recruiting season can get silly sometimes, and Florida Gator fans just found that out firsthand. After a string of commitments, followed by a string of misses, followed by some more key commitments, it looked like the Gators were in prime position to flip 5-star James Johnson away from Georgia.
Johnson flipped all right, just not to the school that anyone had on their radar.
James "JJ" Johnson flips to Texas
Johnson, seemingly out of nowhere, flipped from Georgia to Texas. This was after Johnson had committed to Georgia back on June 28, but rumors were quickly swirling that Florida was in the mix to pull off a flip.
BREAKING: Five-Star DL James “JJ” Johnson has Flipped his Commitment from Georgia to Texas, he tells me for @rivals
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) July 15, 2025
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)https://t.co/VeNJnkpzt9 pic.twitter.com/SSRvRwEkIz
Gator social media over the past few days was seemingly convinced that Johnson was going to flip to the good guys, and it would help ease the sting on some of the other misses Florida has had as of late.
The 6'3" and 285-pound DL had been on Florida's radar for a while. When we profiled him back in February, we said:
"On film, he looks the part of a potential top 100 prospect as Johnson yeets opposing guards and centers with ease. If you aren't familiar with the meaning of yeet, Johnson, at times, will push guys back five or more yards off just the initial point of contact.
If you need further proof of his power, Johnson threw 52' 7.5" in the shot put and placed 7th in the 3A state championships.
But he's not just a straight-ahead power rusher, as he has some tools in his bag to outright beat guys without getting touched.
The only thing that seems to hold him back in the rankings is the fact he plays down in southwestern Florida compared to some of the other hotbeds in the state."
That last part is relevant since he will be playing for Miami Northwestern for his senior season.
It is worth noting that Johnson had publicly stated Texas would have been his second option when he committed to Georgia, so it's also possible Florida was used as a bargaining chip with the Longhorns.
Either way, a fun weekend of dreaming has been all for naught as the Gators are back to the drawing board for their class of 2026.