Ohio 4-Star Recruit Cincere Johnson Locks In Vists: Alabama Crimson Tide, Ohio State, USC Trojans

Glenville (OH) four-star recruit Cincere Johnson has locked in his four official visits for the summer with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Oklahoma Sooners, Ohio State Buckeyes and USC Trojans for the summer. Can the Trojans land the highly coveted prospect?

Sept. 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Glenville linebacker Cincere Johnson watches warm-ups before Ohio State's game against the Marshall University Thundering Herd at Ohio Stadium. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Recruiting season is ramping up as spring practice fast approaches starting next month. College coaches cannot have face-to-face contact with high school recruits during this dead period, but they can communicate through phone calls, text messages and social media.

Several blue-chip prospects from the 2026 recruiting cycle are setting their official visits for the coming months, including Glenville (OH) four-star linebacker Cincere Johnson. The highly coveted linebacker out of Cleveland has locked in four official visits with the Alabama Crimson Tide on May 31, Oklahoma Sooners on June 6, Ohio State Buckeyes on June 13 and USC Trojans on June 20.

Sept. 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Glenville linebacker Cincere Johnson watches warm-ups before Ohio State's game against the Marshall University Thundering Herd at Ohio Stadium. / Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Johnson is the No. 8 linebacker and No. 120 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings. Ohio State and Alabama have been considered the leaders to land Johnson. He was in Tuscaloosa for Alabama's Junior Day event the first weekend of February and made the trip down to Norman to visit Oklahoma last month. Johnson plans on taking the two-hour trip to Columbus to visit Ohio State for spring practice, and the Trojans will continue to push to bring him out west multiple times. 

Since becoming members of the Big Ten conference this past season, the Trojans have made a concerted effort to expand their recruiting footprint into the Midwest, and the state of Ohio has become a frequent visiting spot for the USC coaching staff.

USC defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn visited Johnson in late January and offered him a scholarship, and then a week later, Trojans coach Lincoln Riley made the trip to Cleveland. The Trojans have made an impression on Johnson in a short period of time and firmly planted themselves in the mix.

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USC has one commitment from Ohio in Harvey four-star running Shahn Alston. He chose the Trojans over Penn State and Wisconsin during the Navy All-American bowl last month. 

So far, they have prioritized defensive back in the 2026 cycle, with four of Trojans' nine commitments play in the secondary, including two of the top-five cornerbacks in On3 Industry Rankings, Rancho Cucamonga (CA) four-star RJ Sermons and Loyola (CA) four-star Brandon Lockhart. Still, USC has their eyes set on adding the top-ranked cornerback, Archbishop Hoban (OH) five-star Elbert Hill.

Hill and his family made the trip out to Los Angeles for the first time last month. The Trojans have inserted themselves in the mix after he raved about his time on campus and plans to take an official trip in the coming months.

"The experience for me, it was great," Hill told Rivals. "Especially because it's LA. The thing that stood out most for me on the visit was definitely the coaching staff, how they're really pushing me and all the great things they have to say about me. They really like my game and how I play. Then, I would say another big thing and the visit was me seeing the stadium. I was great."

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