Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson drops 2-word reaction to DeVaughn Jackson's Wilberforce commitment

Class of 2026 recruit and Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson seemed excited after Garfield Heights High School teammate DeVaughn Jackson committed to Jackson Wilberforce University on Wednesday. The 6-foot-1 combo guard announced it on his Instagram in collaboration with Neo Youth Elite, Garfield Heights Alumni and The Top Ten Productions.

Johnson reshared the post to his Instagram story with a two-word reaction:

"Proud bro 🤞🏽🔥," Johnson captioned his story.

Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson reacts to DeVaughn Jackson's Wilberforce commitment (Image: IG/marcus_johnson32)

Both Johnson and Jackson led Garfield Heights (Ohio) to a 17-2 overall and 9-1 Lake Erie Conference record, where they sit at the top spot above Warrensville Heights, Bedford, Lorain, Maple Heights and Shaw.

Furthermore, the Bulldogs have only lost two of their last 10 games, starting from their 65-56 win against Holy Name on Jan. 14. They have defeated Bedford twice, McKinley, Lorain, Medina, Warrensville, Central Catholic and Maple Heights, and lost against Lorain and Wayne.

Marcus Johnson, who was named the 2023-24 Ohio MaxPreps Player of the Year, averaged 23.1 points on 50.0% shooting, including 39.0% from the 3-point line. He also had 4.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 2.0 steals per game in his sophomore year.

Furthermore, the point guard also earned the All-Ohio Player of the Year honors in Division I and made the All-State first team last year for a second time. He displayed his scoring prowess against Oak Cliff Faith Family (Dallas) in January 2024 after leading his team to a double overtime 68-67 win with a career-high 40 points against Oak Cliff Faith Family.

Johnson also played for the Indy Heat Gym Rats in the Nike EYBL 16U and led them to the championship, averaging 24.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and two assists per contest.

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Why did Marcus Johnson choose the Ohio State Buckeyes?

The Class of 2026 recruit ranks at the 33rd spot nationally, fifth in the point guard position and second in Ohio. The 6-foot-1 Johnson received interest from 16 programs across the nation, including Illinois, Penn State, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Youngstown State, among others. However, he committed to the Buckeyes on April 10.

He talked to On3 about his decision:

“I chose Ohio State 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 a kid and I want to stay home.”

Marcus Johnson will be joined by 6-foot-8 power forward Alex Smith from Upper Arlington (Columbus, OH) on Jake Diebler's team.