When Tyreke Johnson arrived at Ohio State in the winter of 2018, he stated his goal of being a first-round selection in the NFL Draft like the number of Buckeye cornerbacks that came before him. If Johnson is to accomplish this dream, it won't be with the Scarlet and Gray as the corner entered the NCAA transfer portal on Wednesday.
A former five-star recruit out of Trinity Christian Academy in Jacksonville, Florida, Johnson followed in the footsteps of Shaun Wade the year before him by committing to Ohio State over offers from around the country, making him the third-highest ranked player in the Buckeye class. The expectations were high for the No. 2 safety in the class and the 21st best prospect, per the 247Sports Composite, but were never realized during his time in Columbus, Ohio.
Despite his high ranking, Johnson did not see the field early for the Scarlet and Gray. With names like Kendall Sheffield, Damon Arnette, Jeff Okudah and Wade already established in the cornerback room, Johnson took a redshirt year in 2018.
In 2019, Johnson played in eight games in a reserve role behind Okudah, Arnette and Wade, as well as on special teams, recording three total tackles. With Okudah and Arnette off to the NFL following that season, the door opened for Johnson to take on a bigger role. But when the 2020 season began, Wade was Ohio State's No. 1 cornerback and juniors Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown rotated at the other corner spot.
The door again opened for Johnson to kick start his career with the Buckeyes after Brown went down with an Achilles injury against Penn State in the second week of the season. The redshirt sophomore stepped in at corner in a rotation with Banks over the next two games, but struggled in coverage despite a career-high four-tackle performance against Rutgers the week following Brown's injury. Johnson played fewer than 20 snaps on defense the rest of the year.
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Johnson remained with the Scarlet and Gray this spring, attempting to earn a starting spot with Wade departing for the NFL. Despite plenty of talk surrounding the defense and how the secondary would improve in 2021, Johnson appeared to be the forgotten man. Even with both Banks and Brown missing spring practice, discussions at corner often turned toward redshirt freshmen Ryan Watts and Lejond Cavazos and true freshmen Cameron Martinez and Denzel Burke. Johnson played nearly 40 snaps in Ohio State's spring game as his final act as a Buckeye, recording one tackle.
The NCAA introduced the transfer portal in October of 2018 to allow student-athletes a path to explore their options if they were not happy at their current program. Players do not need to ask permission from their coaching staff in order to transfer but simply request that compliance enter their name, a process that typically takes 24-48 hours to complete. Once a player is in the portal, schools are free to contact a player without restriction.
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While a player entering his or her name in the transfer portal means they intend to explore their options, it does not necessarily mean they will leave their current program. A player is free to withdraw his name at any time. However, schools are under no obligation to keep a player on scholarship once they enter the portal.
In departing Ohio State, Johnson will look for a fresh start and an opportunity to better showcase the ability that made him a five-star cornerback. The Buckeyes, meanwhile, will hope to get a fully healthy Banks and Brown back for the fall and will continue to develop the young corners to be ready for the 2021 season.