As Ryan Day sharpens Ohio State’s focus for a New Year’s Eve showdown with Miami, a significant development from the recruiting trail has underscored the future of his defense. Their in-state four-star linebacker from Glenville High School becomes the only player to earn the Rivals All-American honor after a remarkable season.

“Blessed to be recognized as a First Team National Rivals All-American! @TarblooderFB @OhioStateFB,” Ohio State commit Cincere Johnson said on X.

Cincere Johnson becomes the only Ohio State commit with National Rivals All-American honors this season, which makes it a defining moment for Ryan Day and his team. This becomes a full-circle moment for Johnson, as this is his first step toward his dream of being a star at Ohio State. That’s precisely why he chose them over Alabama and Penn State.

“It means a lot,” Johnson said. “That program is a prestige program, a historic program. Coming from the background that I come from, playing with a lot of guys that have gone there already, it’s a blessing. It’s amazing at the same time to know I have the talents to make it that far and write my name on the Ohio State legacy.”

This honor is the result of constant grind and delivering a dominant senior season at Glenville High School. Johnson pushed Tarblooders to a 12-3 record and the OHSAA Division IV state championship, allowing just 10.8 points per game. He finished the season with 134 tackles, 25.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks, constantly disrupting other teams’ offenses.

His postseason performance further adds to his hype. In the state semifinals, Johnson recorded 17 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, and two pass breakups.

He continued that performance with Glenville in the game against Shelby, overwhelming them by a 45-7 margin, holding them to just 27 total yards. Across all his high school seasons, he compiled head-turning numbers: 326 total tackles, 65 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks, and six forced fumbles.

However, that’s not the only honor bestowed upon Cincere Johnson, as his remarkable showing also earned him other recognition. Johnson was selected for the All-USA Midwest Football Team’s Defense Player of the Year award and is a finalist for the national honor. Now, with results coming in on December 30, the No. 1 player in Ohio is ready to grab it.

Significantly, Johnson also received the 2025 MaxPreps Ohio High School Football Player of the Year honor as he remains the state’s top performer, and MaxPreps has a legacy of honoring the most elite high school talent since 2006.

What adds to this honor is that it places him under consideration for the MaxPreps All-America Team, joining a prestigious list of past Buckeyes winners: Drew Allar, Corey Kiner, and Jordan Marshall.

While Johnson’s arrival signals a bright future for the defense, Day’s immediate focus is on the offense’s present, as he retakes the play-calling reins for the crucial bowl game against Miami.

Ryan Day makes his stance clear on play-calling duties against Miami

Ryan Day takes over offensive play-calling duties for Ohio State as they enter the quarterfinal game against Miami in the Cotton Bowl after Brian Hartline moved from the team to accept the head coaching job at South Florida. Despite that, he is ensuring he remains with the Bucks through the CFP and continues to coach the wide receivers.

“It’s such a strange calendar, and the timing is brutal. But he’s handled it great, as you can imagine,” Day said Monday. “It’s a lot on his plate. It’s a lot to manage. So we’re kind of taking it day-to-day right now, just in terms of as we move forward.”

He emphasized their collaborative effort to push the team to success. As co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, Keenan Bailey, running backs coach Carlos Locklyn, quarterbacks coach Billy Fessler, and offensive line coach Tyler Bowen all will play equal roles in preparation.

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This isn’t the first time Ryan Day has called plays for Ohio State, as before taking the head coaching role, he handled the play-calling duties for the first five seasons, before handing the responsibility to Chip Kelly in 2024 and then to Hartline this season.

Now, under Hartline, the Bucks averaged 429.5 yards per game and ranked 5th in offense. It will be interesting to see who Ryan Day and his team bring in as his replacement next season.