LB Cincere Johnson named ALL-USA Midwest Team's defensive captain

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Glenville, Ohio, linebacker Cincere Johnson has been selected as the ALL‑USA Midwest Football Team Defensive Player of the Year, earning the honor after one of the most dominant defensive seasons in Ohio high school football history.

Johnson, a 6‑foot‑3, 225‑pound senior, anchored a Glenville defense that powered the Tarblooders to a 12‑3 record and the OHSAA Division IV state championship. He finished the season with 134 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, leading a unit that allowed just 10.8 points per game.

His postseason run was even more impressive: 17 tackles, four tackles for loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups in the state semifinals, followed by a suffocating performance in a 45‑7 championship win in which Glenville held Shelby to just 27 total yards.

Across his varsity career, Johnson amassed 326 tackles, 65 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks and six forced fumbles, including a breakout junior season with 205 tackles and 41 tackles for loss. His blend of range, power and instincts made him one of the nation’s most disruptive front‑seven defenders.

A consensus top‑50 national recruit, Johnson signed with Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over Alabama, Penn State and more than 30 other offers. He is ranked as the No. 1 player in Ohio and one of the top linebackers in the 2026 class.

Along with the other players selected to the ALL-USA Midwest Football Team, Johnson is a finalist for the national ALL-USA Football Team. That All-America team will be announced on Dec. 30.

The Midwest region includes athletes from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY High School Sports Wire: Ohio State recruit Cincere Johnson is ALL-USA Midwest defense captain

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