Keon Johnson is headed to Knoxville.
Ohio State pursued him heavily in the past few months after Chris Holtmann hired Jake Diebler as an assistant coach, but Johnson announced his commitment to Tennessee on Tuesday evening.
The Buckeyes and Volunteers were his two finalists. He dropped Virginia off his list after the Cavaliers accepted a commitment from Jabri Abdur-Rahim, filling their 2020 class.
Johnson, the No. 31 overall prospect and sixth-ranked shooting guard in his class, gives the Volunteers and impact defender and slasher who is widely regarded as one of the most athletic prospects in high school and somebody who could soon become a five-star prospect. The Bell Buckle, Tennessee, native also gets the benefit of playing in his home state, though he told Eleven Warriors distance from home didn't factor into his recruitment.
The Buckeyes made a strong push, but their late entrance into his recruitment likely left them too much ground to make up.
Johnson listed Ohio State as a finalist just weeks after Holtmann hired Diebler, who had a relationship with the recruit from his time at Vanderbilt. After taking an official visit to Columbus in late June, Johnson told Eleven Warriors that the trip surpassed expectations. That was his only visit to Ohio State.
With Johnson off the board, Ohio State must shift its focus to other prospects. Jalen Bridges, Henry Coleman, Zach Loveday, Scottie Barnes, Moses Moody, Lance Ware, Mark Williams, Puff Johnson, Eugene Brown, Zed Key and Ryan Kalkbrenner are among the team's top 2020 targets.
The Buckeyes currently have one scholarship available for their 2020 class.
