Veteran transfer wing Puff Johnson will be allowed to finish the 2025-26 season with the Ohio State men’s basketball team.
A Franklin County judge has upheld the temporary restraining order that allowed him to join the Buckeyes in mid-January, putting an end to his legal limbo and clearing the way for him to be an active member of the Ohio State roster for the remainder of the year.
Johnson appeared Feb. 11 in Franklin County court and testified, as did Ohio State assistant coach Dave Dickerson on his behalf. Later that night, Johnson played a season-high 15:11, scoring 8 points and helping Ohio State beat USC 89-82 at the Schottenstein Center despite missing morning shootaround and film work with the Buckeyes.
Until the judge’s final ruling on his situation, Johnson was permitted to continue playing under the conditions of the temporary restraining order granted Jan. 16 that was eventually extended.
This concludes a lengthy process for Johnson, who committed to Ohio State last spring with both sides believing he would be granted a waiver for a sixth season. Ohio State filed for a medical hardship waiver on Johnson’s behalf after his enrollment. The NCAA denied that request and an appeal of that denial in September.
In November, Johnson filed a similar lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio which was denied less than a week after its filing. The federal ruling said the NCAA’s denial of Johnson’s hardship request did not violate antitrust laws.
In the lawsuit filed Jan. 15, Johnson described it as a “last resort” in the filing, saying if his request is denied, he will “forever lose the opportunity to complete his collegiate basketball career with the Buckeyes.” The lawsuit stated that Johnson would also miss out on name, image and likeness compensation that he was promised if he played this season.
He was granted a temporary restraining order the next day, allowing him to be immediately eligible for the next two weeks. That Jan. 30 hearing was then postponed until Feb. 11 after the NCAA’s appeal to move the case to the federal level was denied Jan. 28 by United States District Judge James L. Graham, the same judge who had denied Johnson’s earlier lawsuit for eligibility.
Johnson made his first start for the Buckeyes in relief of Devin Royal, who was unavailable due to illness, in a Feb. 22 loss at Michigan State. It was Johnson’s first start since Jan. 15, 2025, when he was in the lineup for Penn State at, coincidentally, Michigan State.
In seven games so far at Ohio State, Johnson has averaged 3.0 points and 1.0 rebounds while playing 13.1 minutes per game. For his career, Johnson has played in 118 games, 65 at North Carolina and 46 at Penn State before joining the Buckeyes.
This story will be updated with more information.
Ohio State men’s basketball beat writer Adam Jardy can be reached at ajardy@dispatch.com, on Bluesky at @cdadamjardy.bsky.social or on Twitter at @AdamJardy.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Judge rules Puff Johnson can play remainder of the season for Ohio State
Reporting by Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
