Former Penn State star Puff Johnson is back in college basketball, as well as the Big Ten.
Johnson has been added to Ohio State’s roster, the Buckeyes recently announced. He was granted a temporary restraining order by a Franklin County Court of Common Pleas this past Friday. He was deemed immediately eligible to play this season.
“We’re excited for Puff to join our program,” Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said in a statement. “This has been a long process for he and his family. We’re happy for them and are looking forward to him getting on the court.”
Johnson, the younger brother of former Pitt player and current Denver Nuggets player Cameron Johnson, started his college basketball career at North Carolina in 2020-21, spending three seasons with the Tar Heels. He played in a total of 65 games at UNC before transferring to Penn State ahead of the 2023-24 season.
Johnson then spent the last two years at Penn State. He appeared in 46 games for the Nittany Lions and started all 17 games he played last season, averaging a career-high 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds. The guard missed time because of an injury.
According to ESPN, Johnson and his attorneys argued that he was misdiagnosed by Penn State and should have sat out after suffering a wrist injury. Instead, he continued to play and suffered a season-ending injury later in the year as he broke his wrist. The misdiagnosed injury led to Johnson playing in more games than the medical redshirt rule allows, Johnson’s attorneys argued.
Judge Sheryl K. Munson apparently agreed as she granted Johnson a temporary restraining order after his medical hardship waiver and lawsuit against the NCAA were previously denied.
While Johnson has been cleared to play, he did not appear in Tuesday’s win over Minnesota. He last played in a game Jan. 15, 2025, and it will likely take him some time to be game-ready for the Buckeyes.
