James Laurinaitis has landed a big fish from the Buckeye State.
Four-star linebacker Cincere Johnson committed to Ohio State on Thursday, giving the Buckeyes 16 commits in total for their 2026 class and their second linebacker commit alongside CJ Sanna.
Go Buckeyes pic.twitter.com/XxiGuJdUwt
— Cincere Johnson 4 (@JCincere8) June 19, 2025
It seemed like it was only a matter of time before Johnson joined the Buckeyes' 2026 class once he picked up his offer in September of last season, but the Cleveland product did his due diligence and played out his recruiting process.
The Johnson File
- Class: 2026
- Size: 6-3/225
- Pos: LB
- School: Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #71 (#8 Edge)
Johnson was a frequent visitor to Ohio State's campus over the past few years, his most recent visit coming on Friday when the Glenville standout took his official visit to Columbus and received a full presentation from Laurinaitis and Matt Patricia on how he'd be developed in Columbus. He committed to the scarlet and gray six days later.
“Ryan Day, James Laurinaitis and just the brotherhood and relationships that are going on down in Columbus,” Johnson told Eleven Warriors in May of what stands out to him the most about Ohio State. “The transfer portal just happened and Ohio State is one of the schools that just shows that brotherhood, that stands out to me every time.
“I’ve been able to see how things are run this spring coming off a national championship. They’re not getting too lax. The addition of coach (Matt) Patricia also shows the things that he brings to the table and the way Ohio State is going to be run this year.”
With Johnson's commitment comes the continuation of the vaunted Glenville pipeline, as the linebacker is the fourth Tarblooders standout to join the Buckeyes within the past three recruiting cycles, a group that includes Bryce West, Arvell Reese and Damarion Witten. Ohio State wouldn't mind if his teammate, three-star defensive tackle Jamir Perez, joins him in Columbus and eventually flips his commitment from Florida. Perez took an official visit to OSU with Johnson and the Buckeyes are seen as a strong challenger to the Gators.
“It would mean a lot,” Johnson said in May of the opportunity to keep the pipeline going. “To join the history and tradition, and also be able to write my own side story on that history, that would mean a lot.”
| Pos | Name | Rating | Rank | Size | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | CHRIS HENRY JR. | ★★★★★ | #15 NATL | #3 WR | 6-5 | 205 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) |
| S | BLAINE BRADFORD | ★★★★★ | #26 NATL | #3 S | 6-1 | 207 | Catholic (Baton Rouge, Louisiana) |
| LB | CINCERE JOHNSON | ★★★★ | #71 NATL | #8 Edge | 6-3 | 225 | Glenville (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| S | SIMEON CALDWELL | ★★★★ | #106 NATL | #6 LB | 6-3 | 185 | The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida) |
| WR | KAYDEN DIXON-WYATT | ★★★★ | #108 NATL | #13 WR | 6-2 | 180 | Mater Dei (Santa Ana, California) |
| OT | SAM GREER | ★★★★ | #109 NATL | #7 OT | 6-6 | 310 | Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) |
| OT | MAXWELL RILEY | ★★★★ | #127 NATL | #8 OT | 6-5 | 280 | Avon Lake (Avon Lake, Ohio) |
| RB | FAVOUR AKIH | ★★★★ | #167 NATL | #14 RB | 6-0 | 190 | Rutherford B Hayes (Delaware, Ohio) |
| CB | JAKOB WEATHERSPOON | ★★★★ | #173 NATL | #15 S | 5-10 | 172 | Avon (Avon, Ohio) |
| CB | JORDAN THOMAS | ★★★★ | #176 NATL | #16 CB | 6-1 | 185 | Bergen Catholic (Oradell, New Jersey) |
| DL | KHARY WILDER | ★★★★ | #241 NATL | #23 Edge | 6-4 | 260 | Junipero Serra (Gardena, California) |
| WR | JAEDEN RICKETTS | ★★★★ | #269 NATL | #45 WR | 6-0 | 187 | Watkins Memorial (Pataskala, Ohio) |
| LB | CJ SANNA | ★★★★ | #296 NATL| #19 LB | 6-3| 225 | Olentangy (Lewis Center, Ohio) |
| WR | BROCK BOYD | ★★★★ | #379 NATL | #58 WR | 6-2 | 183 | Southlake Carroll (Southlake, Texas) |
| TE | CORBYN FORDHAM | ★★★ | #475 NATL | #23 TE | 6-3 | 215 | The Bolles School (Jacksonville, Florida) |
| OL | TUCKER SMITH | ★★★ | #647 NATL | #57 IOL | 6-5 | 280 | Sandra Day O'Connor (Phoenix, Arizona) |
| Prospect Rating Data: 247Sports Composite | |||||
Johnson provides versatility as a standout tackler, pass rusher
Per 247Sports' composite rankings, Johnson is considered the No. 71 prospect and No. 8 edge player in the 2026 cycle.
It's fitting that Johnson is close friends with Reese and admitted he looked up to him when he first started in the prep ranks, because that style of play isn't a bad comparison for how his game best translates to the collegiate level.
“That’s my best friend,” Johnson said of Reese. “He was my mentor coming into high school. He kind of helped put me on the map and showed me the ropes. He’s looking to have a big year.
At 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, Johnson can play any traditional linebacker spot at the Mike or Will, but also can create havoc on the edge as a pass rusher with his frame and skillset. Though his skill set suggests he might have more success as a pass rusher and tackler at the collegiate level, he has the speed to provide adept coverage when necessary and has held his own covering receivers far lighter than him in high school and in the camp circuit.
Johnson has the skill set necessary to make an impact from day one, but perhaps a more realistic outlook is him cracking the two-deep in his second year, depending on how OSU's current freshman linebackers develop throughout the season. He has all the tools necessary to thrive at the collegiate level and turn into a prolific player for the Buckeyes.
“They have high production,” Johnson said of his main takeaway from OSU’s linebackers after getting a chance to watch them last fall. “The things (Laurinaitis) was able to do with Sonny Styles, Cody Simon and Arvell Reese, it shows.
“(Coach Laurinaitis) being able to come from that program, win the Butkus Award, being the all-time leading tackler for the Rams, it shows that he’s done things that other coaches haven’t. He can produce some of the best linebackers.”
