Ryan Day's Ohio State in race with Alabama and Penn State for 2026 class four-star recruit

Ohio State's 2026 class is loaded with multiple blue-chip prospects and ranks No. 3 in the nation. Ryan Day might get another big addition, as four-star priority target Cincere Johnson is set to announce his commitment on June 19.

The Grenville (Ohio) linebacker is also considering Alabama and Penn State as finalists.

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Johnson is an off-ball linebacker who can get after the quarterback in pass rushing situations. He is the No. 4 linebacker in the 2026 class and the No. 68 prospect in the nation, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Player development is a key factor in Johnson’s decision-making. The Buckeyes' track record under linebackers coach James Laurinaitis, with players like Sonny Styles, Cody Simon and Arvell Reese, has made a strong impression. Besides that, OSU's brotherhood also stands out to him.

"Ryan Day, James Laurinaitis and just the brotherhood and relationships that are going on down in Columbus,” Johnson told Eleven Warriors. “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."

Cincere Johnson is set to take an official visit to Columbus on June 13.

Ohio State remains the leader in Cincere Johnson's recruitment

Ohio State is seen as the favorite to land Cincere Johnson, with On3 giving the Buckeyes a 92.7% chance of earning his commitment. Insider Bill Kurelic has also submitted a crystal ball prediction in favor of Ryan Day’s program.

The Buckeyes have built a strong recruiting connection with Glenville High School over the years. They brought in talents like Arvell Reese, Bryce West and Damarion Witten in recent classes, which resonates with Johnson.

In a conversation with Eleven Warriors, Johnson expressed his excitement about potentially continuing that legacy:

“It would mean a lot. To join the history and tradition, and also be able to write my own side story on that history, that would mean a lot."

Ohio State already has a linebacker commit in the 2026 class in four-star prospect CJ Sanna. The Buckeyes' cycle is headlined by five-star wide receiver Chris Henry Jr., and holds a total of 13 committed players.

About the author

Maliha is a High School Sports news and listicles writer at Sportskeeda. A post graduate in Management Information Systems, it was her love for writing and sports which led her down the path of sports content creation. An experienced NBA and NFL writer, she covered the two sports extensively at SportsZion and SportsKnot before joining SportsKeeda.

Maliha is a huge Baltimore Ravens fan and is in awe of quarterback Lamar Jackson's dual-threat abilities. She also admires Tom Brady and her all-time favorite coach is 3-time Super Bowl champion Andy Reid. She is a big advocate of high school sports and believes that elite athletes reach a top level owing to the discipline, hard work, team dynamics, resilience, adaptability and self-confidence learnt by playing sports in high schools. Aaron Rodgers leading the Green Bay Packers to victory on his debut against the Minnesota Vikings is one of her fondest NFL memories.

Maliha places a high emphasis on accuracy in her content. She does thorough research, always double checks facts, and only uses information from most relevant and credible sources for her articles. When not writing, she likes to read history and biographical books.

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Edited by Rajdeep Barman