BLOOMINGTON — Indiana football landed a verbal commitment from 4-star defensive end Ronelle Johnson on Saturday afternoon.
Johnson picked IU from a top four that included Missouri, Kansas State and Mississippi.
The 6-foot-4, 260-pounder out of Blue Springs High School in Missouri had a total of 13 scholarship offers, all from Power Four schools. He had 60 tackles with 14 for a loss, 4.5 sacks and three forced fumbles last season as a junior.
According to On3’s industry rankings, he’s the No. 296 ranked player in the 2026 signing class — he’s the Hoosiers second-highest ranked recruit behind defensive lineman Gabe Hill this cycle — and the third-highest ranked player in Missouri.
Indiana football is up to 22 verbal commitments for 2026 with a class that’s ranked No. 26 nationally and eighth in the Big Ten. Johnson is the sixth player among that group that’s ranked among the top 500 recruits.
The Hoosiers have made recruiting defensive linemen a priority for a second straight year. Last year, they signed five defensive lineman (three edge rushers and two interior linemen) and seven commitments up front for 2026.
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Indiana has five defensive linemen including standout defensive end Mikail Kamara entering their final year of eligibility.
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: 4-star defensive lineman becomes Indiana football’s second highest-rated recruit in 2026 class
Reporting by Michael Niziolek, The Herald-Times / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
