A former Ohio State basketball player has entered the transfer portal. Could he return home? Buckeye Breakfast

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Meechie Johnson was once viewed as one of the pivotal pieces of Ohio State basketball’s future.

His high school career started off loudly before injuries limited him in his final three seasons, but his potential was still high.

When he showed up a year early to help the Buckeyes during the second half of the 2020-21 season it was viewed as getting a head start on something that was supposed to be special. But that never quite worked out even when he found himself in the starting lineup, averaging just 3.2 points on 31.9% shooting in 43 games before entering the transfer portal.

He landed at South Carolina, where he’s spent the past two years refining his game whilst playing for a winning program. Now it appears he could be on the verge of returning home.

Coming off a career year with the Gamecocks averaging a team-high 14.1 points, Johnson is back in the transfer portal. The early hints are he might be teaming back up with the guy responsible for making him a Buckeye in the first place. Or at least that’s how OSU NIL collective The Foundation may already be hinting at things just hours after the announcement.

New OSU coach Jake Diebler is responsible for recruiting most of the players who’ve come through the program since he was hired on Chris Holtmann’s staff in 2019. It’s why there’s good reason to believe that even with Holtmann’s firing, Diebler’s promotion could limit any potential attrition the roster could’ve seen otherwise.

With Johnson, it could mean bringing someone back into the fold who could be a quality second primary ball-handler behind Bruce Thornton.

If that were to happen, it would be the second major addition Diebler had made while looking to the past. His first was hiring South Carolina Upstate head coach Dave Dickerson, who spent six seasons at OSU working under Thad Matta.

Soccer in The Shoe

Ohio Stadium’s first major event of the fall will be a football game, but not the type you’re used to seeing.

The Horseshoe will host a soccer game between England’s Chelsea FC and Manchester City on Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024. The Premier League rivalry matchup is part of the 2024 FC Series, a collection of friendly matches featuring top global soccer clubs.

For all ticketing and parking information, click here. Tickets are expected to go on sale soon.

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Famous friends

In yet another episode of getting to know the 2024 Ohio State football team, players are asked to show just how in the loop they might — or might not — be in terms of social status.

Players reveal who is the most famous contact they have in their phone. Most players just shout out their teammates, while wide receiver Carnell Tate singled out a few NFL players inciting a discussion between him and Brandon Innis about where Marvin Harrison Jr. is already more famous than most pros.

But the best part of the film is what quarterback Lincoln Kienholz does by getting a former starting quarterback involved who’s been hanging around the campus for the past week. See who that player is plus more below:

Key dates

• Ohio State spring game: 18 days, April 13
• NFL Draft: 30 days, April 25-27
• Chelsea and Manchester City soccer game: 130 days Aug. 3
• 2024 opener vs. Akron: 158 days, Aug. 31
• Ohio State at Oregon: 200 days, Oct. 12
• The Game 2024: 249 days, Nov. 30