Ohio State is retaining another of its stars as it builds for a better outcome in Jake Diebler's second season.
Rising junior Devin Royal, who enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign despite the Buckeyes' third consecutive NCAA Tournament miss, announced his return to Ohio State on Saturday.
— Devin Royal (@DevinRoyal7) April 5, 2025
Royal racked up 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game this season, the second-best and best marks on the team. He had six 20-point performances. He developed an outside shot in the second half of the year to go with a dynamic inside game, hitting 35.3% of his 3-point attempts in the final 16 games of Ohio State's season.
A composite top-50 prospect in the recruiting class of 2023, Royal appeared in 33 games as a freshman during the 2023-24 campaign, collecting 4.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Royal is the third of Ohio State's core three stars to announce he'll stick with Buckeyes, joining rising sophomore guard John Mobley Jr. and senior guard Bruce Thornton, though Thornton will go through the NBA draft scouting process before making a final decision.
Junior Sean Stewart, sophomore Ivan Njegovan, incoming freshman A'mare Bynum and senior Santa Clara transfer Christoph Tilly are set to join Royal in Ohio State's frontcourt next season.
