Photo courtesy of Mick Walker/Lettermen Row/On3
Ohio State’s most touted 2026 recruit, Cleveland Garfield Heights four-star point guard Marcus Johnson (6-1, 175) continued to earn some notable recognition on May 1 when he landed at No. 20 in ESPN’s newest top 100 player rankings for the class of 2026.
Johnson is the only member of the top 20 that is currently committed to a team. He lands on the list after a sensational junior season at Garfield Heights in which he was named Ohio Mr. Basketball, averaging 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game at the time of the announcement on March 20. His efforts helped lead the Bulldogs to their first OHSAA Division III, Region 9 title since 2016 as well as an appearance to the Division III state semifinals.
Johnson continues to showcase his talents this summer in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, or EYBL. He is averaging 20.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game on the circuit for the Indy Heat Gym Rats through three games. That was highlighted by a 30-point, four-rebound and three-assist performance on April 27 against Nightrydas Elite, which rosters the No. 12 player on ESPN’s top 100 list, Miami (Fla.) Columbus five-star power forward Caleb Gaskins (6-8, 219).
Johnson, the cousin of former OSU guard Meechie Johnson Jr., will look to continue his ascent up the class while playing in the competitive EYBL circuit this summer and then finishing his high school career at Garfield Heights next winter. 247Sports’ composite rankings currently tabs the lefty as the nation’s No. 31 overall prospect, No. 6 point guard and No. 2 player in Ohio in the 2026 class.
