Photo via: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Ohio State bolstered its 2025-26 frontcourt on Wednesday when it garnered a transfer portal commitment from former Baylor center Josh Ojianwuna, according to On3’s Pete Nakos.
Ojianwuna, an Asaba, Nigeria native, joins the Buckeyes after spending three seasons at Baylor, where he averaged 5.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 70.4 percent from the field (183 of 260) across 87 games (23 starts).
After serving primarily as a reserve in his freshman and sophomore seasons, Ojianwuna earned himself a spot in the starting lineup on head coach Scott Drew’s team in 2024-25, starting each of the team’s first 23 games and earning career highs in points (7.4 per game), rebounds (6.4), steals (0.9), blocks (0.8), assists (0.6), field-goal percentage (77.4 percent) and minutes played (24.7). But his junior season was cut short in early February when he suffered a season-ending left knee injury that required him to have surgery.
He missed the final 12 games of the season, including the Bears’ two NCAA tournament games against Mississippi State and Duke.
Still, Ojianwuna was a force for the Bears in the paint when he was on the court. He recorded three double-doubles on the year — headlined by a 12-point, 17-rebound performance in Baylor’s 72-66 overtime win over Arizona State on Jan. 11 — and notched double-figures in scoring in 11 of his 23 games.
Now, the 6-10, 230-pound center — who visited Columbus this past weekend — will look to bring his interior presence to an Ohio State team that was severely lacking on the inside last season and has since looked to the transfer portal to restructure that part of the roster. Ojianwuna is the third frontcourt player to join the Buckeyes out of the portal this offseason, joining veteran mid-major players Christoph Tilly (Santa Clara) and Brandon Noel (Wright State).
Also in the Buckeyes’ frontcourt is returning starter and rising junior forward Devin Royal, rising sophomore center Ivan Njegovan and incoming freshman forward A’mare Bynum.
With six players over 6-6 on its 2025-26 roster, Ohio State will likely look to fill its final roster spot with a guard to join Bruce Thornton, John Mobley Jr. and others in the Buckeyes’ backcourt. Ohio State and Jake Diebler have lost out on several notable guards in the transfer portal thus far, but they have reportedly shown interest in players such as Dezayne Mingo (Marshall, 12.6 points, 5.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds last year) and Kezza Giffa (High Point, 14.6, 2.5, 2.5).
