"Money hungry" "They tryna outspend the Dodgers": Fans react as five-star DL James Johnson snubs Kirby Smart's Georgia for SEC rivals

Five-star defensive lineman James Johnson flipped his commitment from Georgia to Texas on Tuesday. The No. 1 defensive lineman in the 2026 class (according to Rivals) previously committed to Kirby Smart's Bulldogs on June 28.

The 6-foot-2, 285-pound standout faced heavy criticism from fans after the flip, which came just two and a half weeks after he originally chose Georgia over Texas. Florida and Miami were also in his final four schools before he initially committed to Georgia.

"Money hungry lmao I guess enjoy losing to Georgia Also," a user wrote.

"Damn they tryna outspend the dodgers," a fan wrote.

"Surpassed Miami for most desperate program in the country," a netizen wrote.

It was an overall rough day for Georgia, which also lost out on a major in-state target and five-star linebacker, Tyler Atkinson. He also chose Texas over the Bulldogs. Despite being recruited by Kirby Smart's program since the eighth grade, the linebacker was swayed by a strong late push from Texas. Fans slammed Smart for these back-to-back recruitment blows.

"Sark shoving Kirby in a locker?" one quipped.

"kirby dumb getting owned today lfg," a person added.

"Kirby smart being responsible for the deaths of multiple individuals has finally caught up to him. Can’t say I’m surprised lol," a fan said.

Smart's 2026 class still ranks No. 2 in the nation with 28 committed players. Johnson's departure left the Bulldogs with four defensive linemen in the cycle: PJ Dean, Carter Luckie, Preston Carey and Seven Cloud.

Meanwhile, Johnson's addition gives Texas 20 committed players in the 2026 class, ranking No. 6 in the nation. He joins four-star prospects Vodney Cleveland, Dylan Berymon and Corey Wells in the Longhorns' DL room for this cycle.

James Johnson is the No. 69 player in the nation, the No. 8 defensive lineman and the No. 10 recruit in Florida, according to 247Sports. As a junior in the 2024 season, he totaled 60 tackles, 29 tackles for loss and five sacks.

James Johnson shares reasons behind flipping from Georgia to Texas

Texas welcomed James Johnson twice this year, first in April and then again this past weekend. Even before he officially committed to Georgia, Steve Sarkisian’s staff was heavily pursuing him, with Texas ranking second on his list at that time.

In an interview with Rivals, Johnson shared the reasons behind leaving Kirby Smart's program for Texas. He said:

“It wasn’t until I committed to Georgia that I realized something was missing. As much as I respect the program and the staff, it just didn’t feel like home. That realization helped me understand that Texas is where my heart is, and where I see myself thriving both on and off the field.”

Kenny Baker was Johnson's lead recruiter in Texas. With his addition, Sarkisian has five five-star recruits in his 2026 class: Johnson, quarterback Dia Bell, linebacker Tyler Atkinson, Richard Wesley and athlete Jermaine Bishop Jr.

“Texas is doing big things," Johnson said. "Coach Sark is building a top program. They know how to recruit, they win a lot of games and they develop players at Texas.”

Meanwhile, Georgia has two five-star commits in quarterback Jared Curtis and tight end Kaiden Prothro.