Story byBilly HeyenFri, January 16, 2026 at 11:34 PM UTC·2 min readOhio State somehow adds Puff Johnson to basketball roster after 5 seasons, multiple denied appeals originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The world of college basketball just keeps getting weirder and weirder. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPuff Johnson is now a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball team and is eligible to play immediately. His path to this point wouldn't make you think he had any eligibility left. Johnson began his college career in the 2020-21 season with North Carolina. For those counting at home, he's played five college seasons:UNC 20-21UNC 21-22UNC 22-23Penn State 23-24Penn State 24-25Johnson (first name Donovan) has tried multiple avenues to gain eligibility to keep playing and had those attempts denied. But this time, he got a temporary restraining order by a Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, according to Ohio State Athletics.“We’re excited for Puff to join our program,” OSU coach Jake Diebler said in a release.
