Ohio State commit Marcus Johnson reacts as he gets recognized as one of the standouts from Nike EYBL Session 3

2026 prospect Marcus Johnson was one of the top performers at Nike EYBL Session III. The four-star point guard reacted to the recognition on Tuesday. Johnson reshared @4qhcaden's Instagram post, which mentioned the standout players at Monday's Day 4 17U session.

No. 1 Tyran Stokes, No. 6 Jason Crowe Jr., No. 11 Caleb Gaskins, No. 21 Qayden Samuels and No. 45 Chase Foster were other top performers on the list, besides Johnson.

"After a full slate of highly competitive games, I’ve locked in my official EYBL 17U Day 4 Standouts 🔥💯 Stay tuned for more talent, more takeaways on the way! 🏀📈 #EYBL17U #Day4Standouts," read the post's caption.

Johnson reshared the post on his Instagram story with a fire emoji.

At Session III at Kansas, Marcus Johnson dropped 26 points. Previously at Nike EYBL Session 1 in Phoenix, Johnson scored 30 points to lead Indy Heat to a narrow 65-63 win over Nightrydas Elite. In addition to that, he added four rebounds, three assists and one steal.

During the 2023–24 high school season at Garfield Heights (Ohio), Johnson averaged 29.7 points, 4.7 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. He was also named the Ohio Mr. Basketball by the Ohio Prep Sports Media Association. His father, too, earned this honour in 1998.

According to On3's Top Recruit rankings, the 6-foot-1 guard ranks No. 35 nationally. He's No. 6 among the point guards and the second-best player from Ohio State.

Marcus Johnson explains his early commitment to Ohio State

Marcus Johnson committed to Ohio State in April 2024, well ahead of his senior year. Johnson cites the coaching staff as one of the reasons behind his decision to commit, particularly coach Jake Diebler and assistants Talor Battle and Joel Justus.

“They mean a lot. Wonderful dudes, man,” Johnson told Eleven Warriors. “Coach Diebler, Coach Battle and Coach Joel always text me and communicate with me. Definitely love my guys.”

Johnson is part of Ohio State’s 2026 recruiting class and will join the program for the 2026–27 season. While he still has one more year at Garfield Heights High School, Jake Diebler's Buckeyes are already building around a strong foundation.

Before Johnson arrives, Ohio State will welcome four-star centre A’mare Bynum and four-star shooting guard Dorian Jones in the 2025–26 season. Johnson is also joined in the Class of 2026 by three-star forward Alex Smith, another in-state prospect.

About the author

Nishant is a Delhi-based journalist at Sportskeeda specializing in High School Sports. He graduated in Mathematical Sciences and is pursuing a Masters in Operational Research at Delhi University.

With his educational background and over four years of experience, Nishant likes to be precise with information. He is passionate about cricket, football, basketball, and chess, often writing about events and game analysis.

His favorite team is the Michigan Wolverines, and he thoroughly enjoyed their unbeaten season and championship win, especially when it culminated in Jim Harbaugh fulfilling his promise of getting a tattoo.

When he is not working or watching sports, Nishant likes to play football and write poetry. Wrapping everything in humor with relatable memes and defending his heart out on the football field is why he gets up every day.

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Edited by Krutik Jain