Out of Cleveland Glenville High School, Cincere seemed to be an OSU lean all the way, but in today’s day and age of NIL money and all, you just never know. In the end, the pull to play for the Buckeyes and James Laurinaitis proved to be enough to land the priority target.

Ranked as the No. 8 edge defender and 71st overall prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle by the 247Sports Composite Rankings, Johnson is being recruited as a linebacker and should fit the room nicely. Ohio State won over Johnson over the likes of Alabama and Penn State to stay at home and continue the Glenville pipeline from Cleveland to Columbus.

Johnson brings versatility and size to the program at 6-foot, 3-inches, and 240-pounds. He can run and tackle, but can also come off the edge on a pass rush when asked to do so. His commitment brings the 2026 class up to 16 members as the No. 3-ranked class currently in the country according to the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.