Top 2026 LB Target Cincere Johnson Hoping To Return To Notre Dame Soon

Cincere Johnson‍ and his Glenville (Ohio) High School squad opened up the season with a 6-0 win over Upper Arlington last Friday. 

“We had a shutout, so it's always great to have those,” says Johnson, a top linebacker prospect in the Class of 2026. 

“I had 14 tackles, three TFLs. I did pretty good.”

Johnson feels he’s improved in a few facets of the game, which will help him all season.

“Running sideline to sideline, reading the play faster, shutting down the running game and controlling the line of scrimmage,” he says. 

Johnson is being chased by some of the top schools in the country, including Notre Dame and Texas A&M, who have both offered. There was talk of him possibly being in College Station for the game this Saturday night, but that isn’t going to happen.

“We play (Oletangy Liberty) in Columbus on Friday,” says Johnson. “I don't know what games I'll be able to make it to this week...it probably won't be any honestly.”

Johnson says he does plan to watch the Irish and Aggies go at it in primetime and will be paying close attention to both teams.

“The defense and the concepts and just the teams overall,” he says. “They've been looking to have big-time teams, so just looking at that aspect and just the defense and how they're coached, the habits and stuff like that.”

Johnson made multiple visits to South Bend this offseason and remains in touch with Irish assistant Al Washington, Assistant General Manager Carter Auman and other staff members.

“I talk to Coach Washington a lot,” he says. “I talk to everybody, Carter and all of them guys. We stay in constant communication, so that's good.

“They just talk to me every day, try to give me a little motivation. Each of them tell me more about the program and just how they're looking and going into the week and just keep going to have a great season.”

He wants to return to South Bend for a game this fall, but doesn’t have anything circled yet.

“Whenever it can fit in the schedule,” Johnson says. “We have a pretty tough schedule and we travel a lot, so we never give back home until Saturday. I know the (college) games are Saturday. 

“It's just really whenever it fits in the schedule. I'm looking to go to games back-to-back during our home games. But as of right now, we travel a lot, so I'm not really able to plan anything out.”

Johnson’s offer sheet also includes Michigan State, Purdue, Wisconsin, Missouri, Florida State, Kentucky and Cincinnati among several others.

“I want to narrow things down going into the end of this year,” he says. “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.”

Johnson is looking for “the right place for me.”

“Somewhere that I feel comfortable with being at for the next four or five years with a great coaching staff, great team, somewhere I can have a great school life and a football life and get developed as a human being and a football player,” he says. 

The Irish have pitched themselves as being just that school for months.

“Notre Dame is a great program, prestigious program in the school concept, so that right there checks the boxes,” he says.

“Also, it's a great program. They have a great team every year. They're looking to have a great team this year.”

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