Two players on Matt Patricia’s defense shed their black stripe on Wednesday as Ohio State freshman linebacker Cincere Johnson and sophomore safety Deshawn Stewart earned the honors and officially became Buckeyes.
The 6-3, 237-pound Johnson has appeared in the last two games for Ohio State this season after missing the Buckeyes first two contests. He recorded three tackles in his season debut against Ball State.
The product of Cleveland Glenville also saw action on five snaps this past week against Illinois.
Johnson was the No. 16 player and No. 1 linebacker in the class of 2026, according to 247 Sports Composite.
While the talented freshman showed flashes in camp and during his debut against the Golden Flashes, Johnson faces steep competition in a linebacker room with a four-man rotation of Payton Pierce, Christian Alliegro, Riley Peetijohn, and TJ Alford.
Stewart, meanwhile, arrived in Columbus a year ago as a four-star prospect out of DePaul Catholic in New Jersey but did not appear in a game during his freshman season.
At 6-0, 199 pounds, Stewart has faced limited opportunities in Ohio State’s loaded safety unit. He made his collegiate debut in Week 3 against Kent State, recording one tackle while playing 11 snaps. The sophomore played just two snaps against Illinois.
Stewart was rated as the No. 380 overall player, No. 34 safety, and the No. 10 player in the state of New Jersey in the 2025 class.
