South Carolina's Meechie Johnson makes his feelings known on transferring back and forth from Ohio State

After being separated from his former program for a year, Meechie Johnson is returning to South Carolina. This marks his third transfer portal stint, making it a rare six-year college basketball career. The guard has swung between the Gamecocks and Ohio State throughout the stretch.

Johnson addressed his unusual journey in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, citing his belief in God as the ultimate factor in his decision.

"Lol i get it ... Going back to the same 2 schools twice🤦🏾 this isn’t what i imagined nor thought my career would be like but I serve a perfect merciful and graceful god and i know this is his journey for me. #UnheardOf," he wrote.

Meechie Johnson began his college basketball career with the Buckeyes in 2020 as a four-star recruit. However, he saw minimal playtime in his first two years, combining for 10.7 minutes per game.

He then transferred to South Carolina, averaging 12.7 points and 3.7 rebounds on 36.1% shooting. He topped that with a career-best stat line of 14.1 ppg and 4.1 rpg on a 39.9% shooting clip the next year before returning to Ohio State.

However, just 10 games into the 2024-25 season, Johnson took a leave of absence to address personal matters. He also tested the NBA draft waters, declaring for the 2023 draft but withdrawing early.

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Meechie Johnson needs approval from the NCAA to continue playing in college

Since it will be his sixth year of college ball, Meechie Johnson will need permission from the NCAA to continue playing Division I basketball. He is eligible to seek a medical hardship waiver from the association.

While there are several scenarios where a medical redshirt can be granted, Johnson fulfills all the criteria that allow a player to apply for a hardship waiver. These include:

• The athlete must have begun using one of their four season of eligibility
• Illness or injury occurring before the first game of the second half of the season
• The player must have played either three games or 10% of the season
• A medical report confirming the injury/illness.

In recent years, players like Savion Lewis and Anna Wilson were allowed to play their sixth year of college basketball, making Johnson a potential candidate for the same.