Black Stripe Alert! Five-star linebacker sheds black stripe

It may be the middle of fall, but we have a black stripe alert, and it's a big one. Five-star linebacker Cincere Johnson has lost his black stripe and has been officially welcomed into the Ohio State Brotherhood.

Hailing from Cleveland, Ohio, Johnson made his way to Columbus via Glenville High School, joining a long list of Tarblooders who have journeyed down Interstate 71 to wear the Scarlet and Gray. As a high school prospect, Johnson was rated as the No. 2 linebacker in the nation and a Top 25 overall recruit according to 247Sports composite rankings. He was the second highest rated player in the Buckeyes' recruiting class, behind Chris Henry Jr. and the No. 1-rated player in Ohio.