Notre Dame football makes big inroads for top linebacker target

The Notre Dame football team found a ton of benefits from beating the Louisville Cardinals this past weekend. There is of course the fact that it appears they're back in the playoff picture. They've even convinced some national analysts they are one of the best teams in the country.

The Irish also made some serious progress on the recruiting front. There were several players that came to visit South Bend and among them, was one of the best linebackers in the 2026 class. And the good news on that front is that Cincere Johnson was quite impressed with what he saw.

The Notre Dame football team still has quite a lot of work to do. But at the very least they got their foot in the door. Now it's going to be about closing the deal over the next six months to a year.

“I like being able to be back in South Bend, loving the atmosphere." He told Irish Sports Daily. "Being able to watch them play a big game like that against Louisville, it was great to be able to be back down.”

Notre Dame football impresses linebacker recruit

One of the most interesting tidbits about Johnson's visit is that he got to see the Irish take down his brother's team.

“I was able to see them go against him,” Johnson said. “I was also able to see the real atmosphere of the game. It was nuts. It was a packed house. It was just great.

It appears that Notre Dame football's biggest rival for landing Johnson is Ohio State. He got an offer from the Buckeyes last week and it clearly has him excited.

“To me, it's a symbol of achievement. I was able to achieve something every Ohio kid wants. They're major. Ohio State has been recruiting me since I was a freshman, so that's major. Absolutely.”