Although the season is officially halfway complete, the Buckeyes roster grows by one with the addition of 6-foot-8, 210-pound wing Donovan ‘Puff’ Johnson, a graduate transfer from Penn State. Johnson, who had been enrolled at Ohio State while awaiting an NCAA waiver, and after it was denied, filed a lawsuit arguing for eligibility due to the myriad of injuries that have marred his playing career.  Today, a temporary restraining order was finally granted, giving him a 6^th year, which is a big boon to the Buckeye roster, bringing valuable experience, size, and shooting to a bench that badly needs additional production.

A former top-100 recruit in the 2020 class, Johnson starred at Moon Area High School (PA), earning Pennsylvania Class 5A Player of the Year honors after averaging 22.1 points and 9.4 rebounds. He later transferred to Hillcrest Prep in Arizona for his senior season, where he posted 14.4 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game, while shooting 45% from three-point range. His elite shooting touch earned him a spot as a finalist in the State Farm national three-point contest.

Johnson began his college career at North Carolina, where injuries limited his early impact. As a sophomore, he contributed off the bench during the Tar Heels’ run to the 2022 national championship game, scoring 11 points and collecting six rebounds in the title game loss to Kansas.

Over the next two seasons, Johnson evolved into a key rotation piece, leading UNC’s bench in minutes and scoring in 2022-23. Following that campaign, he transferred to Penn State, where he played a larger role. In his first year with the Nittany Lions, he appeared in 29 games (12 starts), averaging 7.3 points and 3.1 rebounds and earning the program’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. This past season, Johnson started 17 games and was averaging 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds on 54.3% shooting before a season-ending injury cut his year short in January.

Johnson figures to play a significant role in Columbus once he gets back into basketball shape and is able to contribute on the floor. His combination of size, shooting, and high-level experience makes him a strong candidate to find his way into the starting lineup at a forward spot or serve as a versatile sixth man helping greatly increase the chances of the Buckeyes ending  their long NCAA tournament drought.

-Jason Harris