Then-freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr. (0) shoots from behind the arc during the second half of No. 7 Ohio State’s Round of 32 matchup against No. 2 Villanova March 20 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh. Ohio State lost 71-61. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Lantern File Photo
Guard Meechie Johnson Jr. is reportedly entering the transfer portal for his final year of collegiate eligibility, according to multiple sources, including the Columbus Dispatch.
Gary Petit, the sports information director for men’s basketball, confirmed that Johnson has entered the transfer portal Friday.
A five-year college veteran, Johnson played under the necessary threshold of games to apply for a mental health medical redshirt, according to On3. If his application is approved by the NCAA, Johnson will be granted a final season of collegiate eligibility.
Johnson only played 10 games for the Buckeyes in the 2024-25 season, in which he averaged 9.1 points in 28.8 minutes per game. After those 10 games, Johnson stepped away from the team due to an undisclosed “personal matter” in December 2024, per prior Lantern reporting.
No formal update about Johnson’s absence was given for the remainder of the season; however, according to the Columbus Dispatch, Johnson stepped away from the team due to a mental health concern.
Johnson — a Cleveland, Ohio native — began his collegiate career with the Buckeyes. He spent his first two seasons in Columbus, before he transferred to South Carolina.
In his first season with the Gamecocks, Johnson recorded 12.7 points per game. In his second year, he earned second-team All-SEC honors with his 14.1 points, 2.9 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game.
Now, Johnson will purportedly look to play a final, sixth season of college basketball elsewhere, so long as the NCAA accepts his request.
This story was updated at 5:09 p.m. March 28 to include Petit’s confirmation of Johnson’s entrance into the transfer portal.
