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Indiana lands commitment from 2026 4-star Ronelle Johnson

Browning Headshotby: Zach Browning07/05/25ZachBrowning17
Ronelle Johnson

Indiana football continued a strong holiday weekend on the recruiting trail Saturday, winning a massive recruiting battle and landing a commitment from four-star defensive end Ronelle Johnson.

Johnson’s decision to commit to the Hoosiers comes after a June full of visits. Over the last month, Johnson took visits to Kansas State (May 29), Indiana (June 6), Ole Miss (June 13) and Missouri (June 20).

In the end, Johnson’s connection with defensive ends coach Buddha Williams prevailed, as the Blue Springs, Missouri native ultimately chose Indiana over Missouri.

Rated as a four-star recruit, Johnson is ranked as the No. 296 ranked recruit in the class of 2026 in the 2026 class, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He’s also ranked as the No. 3 overall player in Missouri.

“Ronelle Johnson is one of the more physically impressive prospects on the defensive side of the ball in this 2026 cycle and has the numbers off the field to back it up as well,” Rivals National Scout Cody Bellaire previously wrote on Johnson. “During his sophomore track and field season, Johnson threw over 49 feet in the shot put as well as a 138-foot discus, That raw power shows up on Saturdays where he can be seen bullying offensive linemen at the point of attack. But Johnson has some impressive bend and ability to get after the quarterback as well with advanced hand usage for his age and excellent burst off the line of scrimmage. One of the safest prospects on the defensive side of the ball in 2026.” 

Johnson’s commitment to Indiana comes just over 24 hours after the Hoosiers landed a commitment from three-star wide receiver Walker Bryson.

SEE ALSO: ‘Indiana is a great fit for me’: 2026 3-star wide receiver Walker Bryson commits to the Hoosiers

The 6-foot-4 and 245-pound edge rusher joins fellow defensive line commits Gabe Hill, Kevontay Hugan, Cameron McHaney, Blake Smythe and Rodney White. He’s also the fourth four-star recruit to pledge to the Hoosiers this recruiting cycle.

Johnson becomes the 22nd member of Indiana’s class of 2026, which now ranks No. 26 nationally and No. 8 in the Big Ten.

Check out some of Johnson’s highlights below.

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