Syracuse basketball reaches out to 4-star guard who has de-committed from Ohio State

Marcus Johnson, a 2026 four-star point guard who de-committed from Ohio State earlier this week, has heard from numerous programs since then, including Syracuse basketball, according to reports.

Word broke on October 27 that the 6-foot-2 Johnson, who is from Cleveland, de-committed from the Buckeyes and reopened his recruitment. He verbally pledged to the Big Ten Conference school this past April.

Per recruiting analyst Sam Kayser, Johnson has heard from schools such as the Orange, Indiana, Louisville, Michigan, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Southern California, South Carolina and Cincinnati.

Johnson, within the 2026 cycle, checks in at No. 47 nationally, No. 4 at point guard and No. 3 in Ohio, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite.

Syracuse basketball coaches may have some interest in 4-star point guard Marcus Johnson.

Johnson is a standout senior at Garfield Heights High School in Garfield Heights, Ohio, just outside of Cleveland. As a junior in the 2024-25 campaign, Johnson averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.2 steals per game and was named the MaxPreps player of the year in Ohio.

In 2024-25, Garfield Heights went 23-3 overall and reached the semifinals of the Ohio High School Athletic Association ("OHSAA") Division III state tournament. The Bulldogs were ranked No. 9 in Ohio last season, according to MaxPreps.

This past spring and summer, Johnson earned high praise from analysts and scouts for his performances with the 17U team of Indy Heat in Nike's EYBL league. The Circuit named him to its All-EYBL second team after Johnson averaged 18.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per contest.

The Orange staff remains on the hunt for its first 2026 verbal pledge. The team's top targets in this cycle include five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr., five-star point guard Deron Rippey Jr. and four-star wing/big man Asher Elson.

The 'Cuse is also evaluating 2027 four-star wing/small forward Clyde Walters as a potential re-class candidate into 2026. Smith is expected to unofficially visit the program this Sunday. He also took an unofficial visit to the Hill in September of last year.

Rippey officially visited Syracuse basketball in late September of this year, and he also unofficially visited in late February of last year, on Jim Boeheim Day. Elson took an official visit to SU earlier this month. Let's see if the Orange staff gets Walters on campus for a visit at some point in the future.