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Ohio Mr. Basketball Marcus Johnson decommits from Ohio State men's basketball
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- Ohio Mr. Basketball Marcus Johnson decommits from Ohio State men's basketball
Marcus Johnson, an Ohio State men's basketball commitment since April 2024, has decided to reopen his college recruitment two weeks before the early signing period begins for the 2026 class.
A four-star guard from Garfield Heights, Ohio, Johnson verbally committed to the Buckeyes shortly after coach Jake Diebler was promoted from interim to full-time coach at the end of the 2023-24 season. A sophomore at the time, Johnson then went on to earn Ohio Mr. Basketball honors as a junior , averaging 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game.
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Johnson took an official visit to Ohio State during the weekend of August 30 , and most recently he and his father, Sonny, were on hand to see the Buckeyes beat Ohio 103-74 in an Oct. 26 exhibition game at Value City Arena.
On Oct. 27, Sonny Johnson said the decision was made out of a desire to make sure Marcus Johnson's eventual school was the correct long-term fit. Ohio State is still being considered, he said.
"What Marcus told coach Diebler when he talked to him was, 'Hey coach, hopefully you're still recruiting me. Hopefully, you still want me. If not, I understand,' " Sonny Johnson said shortly after the news broke. "He wanted to watch some games. He wanted to make sure it's the right style and system for him. I think that's so classy."
Sonny Johnson said that the style of basketball Ohio State played during the 2024-25 season, Diebler's first year as a head coach, looked different compared to how they had played when he finished the prior year as interim coach. With signing day looming, Sonny Johnson said the family needs more information before making a final decision.
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"(Committing in 2024) was an easy choice when you've got somebody who's non-stop watching you and recruiting you and he gets the job as an interim and he's playing a certain style of basketball that really fits your game," Sonny Johnson said. "Last year ... was a different style than what we committed to.
"We talked about that with coach Diebler. We went to a couple practices this year and Marcus was wondering if it fits. Then we went to the game (Oct. 26 against Ohio), which it looked pretty good. Their style was fine for how he plays, but we're in a situation where you've got a signing period coming up.
"The style of basketball that Ohio State played last year was different than it's supposed to be this year. So right now, we just want to see it. Nothing's wrong with that."
His decommitment comes less than a week after Ohio State secured a pledge from five-star Ohioan Anthony Thompson, a forward playing at Hudson Western Reserve Academy . He is the first five-star player in the 247Sports rankings to commit to the Buckeyes since Jared Sullinger in 2010.
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Sonny Johnson said the decision had nothing to do with NIL compensation.
"The NIL package that was given to us, it had nothing to do with money or anything like that," he said. "It's just all about wanting the right fit for him and for Ohio State."
A 6-foot-2, 180-pound point guard, Marcus Johnson is listed as the No. 47 national prospect in the 247Sports composite, the No. 4 point guard in the country and the No. 3 player from Ohio. At the time of his commitment, he was a five-star prospect.
After his son's official visit, Sonny Johnson said the family was making sure that Ohio State was the right spot for his son.
Marcus Johnson watches from behind the Ohio State bench during the Buckeyes' 103-74 exhibition win over Ohio on Oct. 26.
"We're committed here, this is where we want to be, but we want to make sure it's the perfect fit because Marcus is a different type of guard than guards who play in the Big Ten," Sonny Johnson said Sept. 5. "If you watch him, he's more shifty. He's more stop-go, herky-jerky. He plays with the ball in his hands a lot. It's making sure that we're all on the same page."
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Asked then if they had gotten answers to their satisfaction, Sonny Johnson said, "Yeah. They showed us how the offense will work and how he can move and how he's going to have to learn to move without the ball a little bit more, but yeah, it felt comfortable. It felt fine."
During the summer, he turned down the opportunity to transfer to a prep school to remain at Garfield Heights and play for his dad and coach, Sonny Johnson. The two are the first father-son duo to win Ohio Mr. Basketball.
Without Marcus Johnson, Ohio State is in line to sign Thompson and four-star forward Alex Smith from Upper Arlington. Smith is playing his senior year at Fort Lauderdale (Florida) Prolific Prep .
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Longtime Ohio State verbal commit Marcus Johnson reopening recruitment
