Meechie Johnson Jr.'s brief return to Ohio State has concluded.
As he seeks a medical hardship waiver following a season where he only played 10 games, Johnson has entered the transfer portal in search of a third team to finish his college career should that waiver be granted.
NEWS: Ohio State guard Meechie Johnson Jr. is entering the transfer portal, he told @On3sports.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 28, 2025
The 6-2 senior averaged 9.1 points in 10 games played this season for the Buckeyes. Averaged 14.1 PPG at South Carolina last season.https://t.co/ocBvfVNhoa pic.twitter.com/uxPbkLVfT3
Johnson never played a game after Dec. 14 for the Buckeyes in 2024-25. In his 10 contests, he averaged 9.1 points and 2.7 assists per game, but also logged 2.3 turnovers and shot just 35.6% from the field. He spent his freshman and sophomore years in Columbus from 2020-22, primarily playing off the bench, before transferring to South Carolina after the 2021-22 season.
With the Gamecocks, he emerged as a star, collecting 14.1 points and 2.9 assists per game, both career-highs, in his senior season before using his COVID-19 waiver for an extra year of eligibility and transferring back to Ohio State. He told the Columbus Dispatch earlier this week that he left the team in 2024-25 due to mental health issues.
“I was just going through a lot mentally,” Johnson said. “Mental health is serious. It’s something I’ve dealt with my whole life. It was something that was definitely affecting me. It was my life. There was a lot going on, and basketball being something you use to be an outlet, I just didn’t feel like myself mentally. … I just had to focus on my mental health. That was that.”
Johnson is the third Buckeye to enter the transfer portal this cycle, joining center Austin Parks and wing Evan Mahaffey. With just one transfer portal addition so far in Gabe Cupps from Indiana, Ohio State is still expected to add at least two more transfers as the Buckeyes look to add a wing and a center from the portal for Jake Diebler's second season at the helm.
