Alabama Learns Big Recruiting News Early in May

Alabama is back in Ohio on the recruiting trail as a finalist for one of the highest-ranked linebackers in the 2026 recruiting class.

Get our free mobile app

Alabama landed Justin Hill from Winton Woods High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the 2025 recruiting class, establishing Alabama as a strong presence in Ohio on the recruiting trail. Alabama is now looking to tap into that connection with another four-star linebacker: Cincere Johnson from Glenville High School in Cleveland, Ohio.

Alabama linebacker coach Chuck Morrell is the primary recruiter for Johnson, and his relationship with Morrell is paying off so far for Alabama.

According to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, Alabama is among three finalists for Johnson.

Joining Alabama as finalists are Ohio State and Penn State.

Johnson, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound linebacker prospect, is ranked as the No. 5 linebacker in the class, the No. 2 player in Ohio, and the No. 88 player in the class according to composite rankings.

Johnson has been to Tuscaloosa twice this year, making unofficial visits to Alabama on February 1 and April 14. He has five official visits scheduled, including one to Alabama.

His full list of official visits is:

Penn State: May 16
Alabama: May 30
Oklahoma: June 6
Ohio State: June 13
USC: June 20

During his junior season at Glenville High School, Johnson was named Defensive Player of the Year in Ohio and was named All-Ohio First Team Defense. Glenville won its region thanks to Johnson's 205 tackles, 41 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two defensive touchdowns, and two pass breakups.

Should Johnson commit to Alabama, he will join a young but talented linebacker room in Tuscaloosa for 2026. Duke Johnson, Luke Metz, and Abduall Sanders Jr. were all linebackers who committed to Alabama in the 2025 recruiting class.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.