Coming off of a National Championship season, the Ohio State Buckeyes have the advantage of recruiting with extra firepower. The Buckeyes didn't need the additional help as Ryan Day has always recruited at an elite level but, with a National Championship on his resume the program holds the Nation's 3rd ranked recruiting class.
Ohio State landed a massive commitment in the 2026 class on Thursday as they got a commitment from 4-star linebacker Cincere Johnson. This is another huge recruiting win for multiple reasons for the Buckeyes. First, Johnson is from Ohio, directly from Ohio State's backyard and programs around the Country were vying for his commitment. Second, it fills a need in the class as he is the second linebacker who is committed to the Buckeyes.
June 19th! The Commitment ‼️ pic.twitter.com/1sK0hlxGWJ
— Cincere Johnson 4⭐️ (@JCincere8) June 15, 2025
The other part of this commitment for Ohio State is that it continues the Cleveland Glenville to Ohio State pipeline, as Johnson is from Glenville. It started in the 2000s with wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr and Heisman winning quarterback Troy Smith and has continued with present-day Buckeye linebacker Arvell Reese and cornerback Bryce West. Both should be contributors for the Buckeyes this season. Once Johnson arrives, he will continue the Glenville pipeline.
Johnson picked up an offer from Ohio State in September and has visited Ohio State frequently since getting the offer. Ohio State rolled out the red carpet for him as he became a priority for them in the 2026 class. Johnson could play linebacker, but he could also grow into playing as an edge defender as well. For linebacker coach James Laurinaitis, he has helped secure a big in-state prospect for the Buckeyes. This will help improve Ohio State's top 5 recruiting class as the Buckeyes continue to try to add to a talented recruiting class