Ryan Day's Ohio State offers in-state four-star LB Cincere Johnson ahead of massive win vs. Marshall

Glenville High School (Ohio) linebacker Cincere Johnson has already earned a four-star ranking and is on the verge of reaching five-star status. He drew attention from top football programs, including Notre Dame and Texas A&M. However, his long-standing admiration for Ohio State might give the Buckeyes the edge in the race for his commitment.

Johnson has never been shy about expressing his love for OSU. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound LB has visited coach Ryan Day's program multiple times. He has frequently spoken about his strong interest in the program, having said that his feelings toward the Buckeyes are "a lot."

That admiration culminated on Saturday when Cincere Johnson received a scholarship offer from his dream school, Ohio State, for the 2026 class. He shared the news on X, writing:

"Blessed to receive an offer from THE Ohio Sate University! #GoBucks🌰 @TarblooderFB @OhioStateFB @MohrRecruiting @Coach_MikeRob @ChadSimmons_ @SWiltfong_."

The timing of the offer couldn't have been better. Cleveland, Ohio, native Johnson was in attendance for Ohio State’s home game against Marshall at Ohio Stadium, where the No. 3 Buckeyes secured a 49-14 victory.

The matchup saw the Thundering Herd hold their own for much of the first half, even taking an early 7-0 lead. However, Ohio State's firepower proved too much for Marshall, and the Buckeyes had established a 28-14 lead by halftime. The second half was all OSU, as the school dominated to remain undefeated at 3-0 on the season.

Cincere Johnson attended the game alongside his brother and former NFL star and Ohio State alum Ted Ginn Jr. He had an up-close look at what life as a Buckeye might be like. The energy at Ohio Stadium and the Buckeyes' convincing victory will likely play a big role in his decision as he weighs his options.

Cincere Johnson opens up about his potential commitment time

Cincere Johnson kicked off September with an offer from Georgia Tech. He holds more than one dozen offers from schools, including Michigan State, Purdue, Akron, Wisconsin, Missouri, Central Michigan, Florida State, Louisville, Kentucky and Cincinnati, among others.

Before making a game-day visit to Ohio State, Johnson toured Kentucky and Louisville to catch their games, and he plans to visit more schools throughout the season. However, he is taking his time with the recruiting process.

“I want to narrow things down going into the end of this year,” Johnson told Irish Sports Daily. “Obviously, going into my senior year, I want to commit toward that time. I'm going to start narrowing things down a little bit but right now, I've still got my eyes open.”

Through the first three games of the season, Cincere Johnson recorded 50 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He is tabbed by the 247Sports Composite Ranking as the No. 115 overall prospect in the nation, the No. 8 linebacker in the 2026 class and the No. 4 recruit in Ohio.