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Marcus Johnson, the No. 36 recruit in the Class of 2026, according to On3's Industry Rankings, made his commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes on Apr. 10, 2024. The 6-foot-1 point guard will join the Buckeyes after completing his high school year at Garfield Heights.
Johnson shared a picture with the two-time NBA Champion and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant on his IG story on Saturday at the EYBL Day I in Phoenix:
"My guy," Johnson captioned his story as he tagged Durant.
Johnson won the 2024-25 Ohio MaxPreps High School Basketball Player of the Year, after averaging 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game. Furthermore, he scored 55 points in the match against Maple Heights last year to break his father's single-game scoring record at the Bulldogs.
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Furthermore, he won back-to-back Gatorade Player of the Year awards and shared the news on his Instagram page:
""2x Gatorade player of the year✝️," he captioned the post.
This feat garnered some praise from the Head Coach at Garfield Heights, Sonny Johnson:
“Marcus is a truly special player. He’s the kind of teammate you can always rely on—someone who lifts those around him and makes everyone better. He embodies unselfishness yet has the rare ability to take over a game when it matters most.”
He won the award in the 2023-24 season, scoring 23.0 ppg, grabbing 4.5 rpg, dishing out 2.4 apg, and stealing the ball twice per contest.
In his junior year at Garfield Heights, he led the Bulldogs to a 23-3 overall record and a 9-1 record in the Ohio Section Ohio Lake Erie Basketball League.
Why did Marcus Johnson choose Ohio State?
The point guard received offers from top programs, including Cincinnati Bearcats, Youngstown State Penguins, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Seton Hall Pirates, among others. Furthermore, he took two unofficial visits to Ohio State before committing to them.
He talked to On3 about choosing the Buckeyes, commending head coach Jake Diebler:
“I chose Ohio State due to Jake Diebler’s recruiting process with me, showing love, and going hard for me. Also, Ohio State has always been my dream school since [I was] a kid and I want to stay home,” he said.
Marcus Johnson will be joined by Alex Smith next season.
