Whenever Ryan Day and Ohio State are able to keep in-state products home, it's extra special. Well, things are made better when it's an elite recruit who has several stars next to his name. For 'backer Cincere Johnson, there are actually five.
Ohio State football team loses out on 5-star RB to SEC foe
This week, 247Sports came out with its final rankings and Johnson saw quite the climb. He's now a 5-star prospect and the No. 2 linebacker in the country. However, he's also now the No. 1 LB in the land per the 247Sports Composite, plus the No. 16 player overall for the 2026 class. Anyone else extra excited to see what he'll be able to do next fall for Day and Matt Patricia?
Ohio State LB signee Cincere Johnson has earned Five-Star status across every major recruiting service — 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN.
— The Buckeye Nut (@TheBuckeyeNut) February 2, 2026
He closes the cycle as the No. 1 linebacker in the nation and a Five-Star+ prospect per On3.
An absolute monster on the field. 💪 pic.twitter.com/e0gpjOddfh
Ohio State LB signee Cincere Johnson is a 5-star recruit across the board
With Johnson being a stud for Glenville High in Cleveland, it felt like he was always going to be a Buckeye. He took a visit to Columbus in June, went home and then decided to commit not long after. At the time, it was a huge get for Day and it's still news that people are celebrating.
He signed with OSU in December and the rankings update has made things ever sweeter for so many different reasons. Johnson has been elite at the high school level and now he's going to be ready to live up to the hype in the Big Ten.
The expectation and hope is that he'll be able to make an immediate impact for Patricia next season - he has what it takes to turn heads during his true freshman campaign. Johnson also isn't the only 5-star freshman who is going to want to make a splash.
Wideout Chris Henry Jr. and cornerback Jay Timmons are also 5-star signees per the 247Sports Composite. Between them and Johnson, the Ohio State faithful can't wait for Week 1 to get here. The Buckeyes have dreams of winning the CFP title for the second time in three years and all the young talent can help them push for that goal.