Ohio State football is set to secure the commitment of a talented 4-Star linebacker. The Buckeyes are coming off a huge redemption run under head coach Ryan Day. After an uneven regular season, Ohio State hit another gear in the College Football Playoff, reeling off four impressive victories en route to a national championship. The Buckeyes now will enter the 2025 season looking to build the sport's next dynasty. And this team will have plenty of talent on the roster to contend once again.

Day is also doing an admirable job of ensuring this program is set up for success in the future. On Wednesday, the Buckeyes picked up some more good news in a recent report from Land-Grant Holy Land recruiting analyst Dan Hessler.

“2026 4-star linebacker Cincere Johnson (Cleveland, OH / Glenville) is scheduled to commit later this week on June 19, and he is coming off an official visit with Ohio State that seemed to have gone as well as possible.”

In addition, Hessler included some recent social media posts of Johnson's visit, confirming the upcoming commitment to Ohio State football.

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Johnson's commitment is terrific for a program that should continue to build elite defenses under new DC Matt Patricia. The Buckeyes are bringing back several players from last year's championship squad, such as All-American safety Caleb Downs and freshman sensation Jeremiah Smith. The main question mark on this roster is at quarterback, with Will Howard exhausting eligibility. Former 5-star quarterback Julian Sayin is the favorite to win the starting job in Columbus. And the 19-year-old will have to hit the ground running if the Buckeyes want to start the season on the right foot.

Ohio State football has a Week 1 clash against Arch Manning and the Texas Longhorns looming. Steve Sarkisian's team fell in a thrilling College Football Playoff semifinal last season to the Buckeyes and will certainly have revenge on its mind. From there, the eye-opening clashes on this schedule include a midseason visit to a rejuvenated Illinois squad, a home game against a Penn State team with title-or-bust aspirations, and, later on, a visit to Ann Arbor.

The Big Ten will be stacked once again with plenty of teams capable of making the twelve-team field. Ohio State football has the talent to beat them all, even with the target it will surely have on its back. The road to a repeat will begin in a couple of months.