For the second time in his career, Meechie Johnson Jr. is transferring from Ohio State to South Carolina.
The former Buckeye guard announced his commitment to the Gamecocks on Tuesday after a one-year return trip to Ohio State.
Isaiah 40:31
— Meechie Johnson (@MeechieJohnson0) April 1, 2025
Rip Pops #UnHeardOf pic.twitter.com/rF9fxfJwcP
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 the first time after the 2021-22 season.
Johnson had the best season of his career in his most recent year at South Carolina, collecting a career-high 14.1 points and 2.9 assists per game in the 2023-24 campaign.
He'll spend his third season with the Gamecocks in 2025-26, the sixth and final of his career, if the NCAA grants him a medical hardship waiver. Johnson told the Columbus Dispatch he sat out the final 22 games of Ohio State's season with 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."
Ohio State has already added a transfer guard back from the portal in former Indiana Hoosier Gabe Cupps. Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr., Taison Chatman and incoming freshman Dorian Jones are currently set to join him in the backcourt for 2025-26.
