Eric Boggs
From Columbus’ perspective, few developments in the 2026 recruiting cycle have been as encouraging as what Cincere Johnson put on display over the past several weeks. The Glenville High School, Cleveland Ohio, star linebacker arrived at the Under Armour All-America Game practices riding the momentum of one of the most dominant defensive seasons in state history, and he left little doubt that Ohio State is getting a program-changing defender.
Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 225-plus-pound force, was one of the clear standouts throughout the practice week in late December and early January. Evaluators and coaches repeatedly described him as a “new-age linebacker” — the modern prototype capable of playing downhill with violence while also carrying receivers in space. He consistently showed elite range, timed his blitzes with precision, and delivered multiple tackles for loss in the backfield, including one rep in which he diagnosed the snap count, exploded through the line, and buried the running back before the play could develop. In coverage drills, Johnson was equally impressive, flipping his hips smoothly and closing throwing windows with rare urgency for a player of his size.
That performance only amplified what Johnson had already established during his senior year at Glenville. He anchored a Tarblooders defense that finished 12-3, captured the OHSAA Division IV state championship, and allowed just 10.8 points per game. Individually, Johnson piled up 134 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks, then elevated his play even further in the postseason. His semifinal stat line — 17 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups — set the tone for a title run that ended with a 45-7 championship win in which Glenville limited Shelby to only 27 total yards of offense. Over his varsity career, Johnson compiled 326 tackles, 65 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, including a breakout junior season that alone produced 205 tackles and 41 tackles for loss.
Those numbers earned him national recognition as the ALL-USA Midwest Football Team Defensive Player of the Year, along with ALL-USA National Team honors and MaxPreps Ohio Player of the Year. He finished as a finalist for the national ALL-USA Football Team and solidified his standing as a consensus top-50 national recruit, the No. 1 player in Ohio, and one of the top linebackers in the 2026 class. He chose Ohio State over Alabama, Penn State and more than 30 other scholarship offers, a recruiting victory that only grew in significance after what he showed at the Under Armour event.
Ohio State was heavily represented at the Under Armour All-America Game, with Johnson among the future Buckeyes who took part in one of the nation’s premier postseason showcases. He was joined by 2026 signees Khary Wilder and CJ Sanna, along with 2027 commits Jamier Brown and Eli Johnson. Throughout the week of practices and in the game environment itself, Johnson consistently validated Ohio State’s evaluation and the vision linebackers coach James Laurinaitis has for the next generation of Buckeye defenders.
By the end of the week, the message from scouts was consistent: Cincere Johnson didn’t merely participate at the Under Armour showcase — he dominated it. Coming off a historic high school career and stepping into an elite national environment without missing a beat, Johnson reinforced his five-star reputation and made it clear that Ohio State is landing a linebacker built to change games at the highest level of college football.
