4-Star Guard Marcus Johnson Decommits From Ohio State

Top-30 senior Marcus Johnson decommitted from Ohio State on Monday, more than 18 months after he originally committed to the Buckeyes, he told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello.

Marcus Johnson Committed To Ohio State In The Spring

Johnson committed to Ohio State in April 2024, weeks after Jake Diebler was named the permanent replacement for Chris Holtmann as head coach.

Diebler had been an assistant coach under Holtmann for five years before being given the interim tag when Holtmann was fired in February 2024.

“When Marcus committed, he was a sophomore, and Diebler became the interim coach. They were playing a certain style,” said Johnson’s father, Sonny, who was named Mr. Basketball in Ohio in 1998 before playing at Ohio University.

Marcus Johnson, the No. 28 ranked player in the SC Next Top 100 for the Class of 2026, decommitted from Ohio State yesterday.

The Ohio native officially reopens his recruitment. pic.twitter.com/muUlOS6eZQ

— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) October 28, 2025

“They were playing pretty fast, [and] they were playing an open offensive approach. We thought it would be a perfect fit, but last year it was a different system. Right now, we want to make sure when you’re signing the papers that it’s the right decision for both parties,” Sonny Johnson continued.

Johnson was Diebler’s first major high school recruit as head coach.

Ohio High Schools To Vote On Whether To Adopt NIL

Ohio-based athletes could potentially earn money through name, image, and likeness (NIL) after Huber Heights Wayne football standout Jamier Brown won a temporary restraining order last week against the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) for NIL.

The OHSAA is planning for schools to vote in November on whether to officially adopt it for student-athletes.

Despite the ruling, however, Johnson’s decision to decommit from Ohio State was more about the style of play.

“It’s not about any money or anything like that,” added Sonny Johnson. “The NIL package they [Ohio State] were offering us was first class. It’s just about making the right decision when it comes down to the style of play.”

His top suitors last year included Alabama, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Illinois, LSU, Oklahoma, and Villanova. He’s heard from schools like Arkansas, Indiana, Louisville, and Michigan since reopening his recruitment.

Johnson Was Named Mr. Basketball After Junior Season

Johnson is a 6-foot-2 guard from Garfield Heights High School (Ohio). He is ranked No. 28 in the SC Next 100 for the class of 2026 and the No. 3 overall player in Ohio by 247Sports.

He was named Mr. Basketball in Ohio last spring after a junior season in which he averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game.

On the Nike EYBL circuit with the Indy Heat grassroots program, Johnson also averaged 19 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 15 games last spring.

Johnson’s decommitment comes after Ohio State landed five-star senior Anthony Thompson, the program’s highest-ranked men’s basketball recruit in more than a decade.

Thompson, who is ranked No. 13 overall, chose the Buckeyes last week over Indiana. He and four-star Alex Smith, both Ohio natives, now comprise the Buckeyes’ 2026 recruiting class.