Chris Holtmann pledged to keep the top prospects in the state to Ohio, and making that a priority has begun to pay off in the 2021 recruiting class.
The Buckeyes picked up a commitment from four-star guard Meechie Johnson on Tuesday.
Johnson, a 6-foot, 155-pound guard from Garfield Heights, is the No. 71 overall prospect and the third-ranked Ohioan in the 2021 recruiting class. He joins four-star power forward Kalen Etzler as the second member of the Buckeyes' 2021 class. Etzler committed to Ohio State on May 12.
Johnson was on an unofficial visit when he committed to Ohio State. In his commitment video, he says that his decision "may be a little bit unexpected" before announcing it.
The Johnson File
- Class: 2021
- Size: 6-foot, 155 pounds
- Pos: CG
- School: Garfield Heights
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: No. 71 (overall)
Since suffering a torn ACL on March 7, he hasn't played either for Garfield Heights or All-Ohio Red, his Nike EYBL team. Due to the injury, he doesn't have a list of offers quite as extensive as other top-100 prospects.
When Etzler committed, he mentioned Johnson as somebody he would like to play with, also referencing four-star guard Malaki Branham, who remains uncommitted.
At Ohio State, Johnson will once again team up with Alonzo Gaffney. They played together at Garfield Heights in 2017-18, when Johnson was a freshman and Gaffney was a junior. For his senior year, Gaffney left Ohio to play for Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.
The Buckeyes are the only team in the country with two 2021 commitments, giving them the top-ranked class early in the cycle.
