Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr. enters NCAA transfer portal

Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr. has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Jamie Shaw has learned.

Gayle had a breakout sophomore season for the Buckeyes, averaging 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. A 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard, he offers considerable size in the backcourt.

His shooting numbers through his first two seasons have been a bit mixed. Gayle shot 42.9% from 3-point range as a freshman, then finished just 28.4% from beyond the arc as a sophomore in 2023-24.

Gayle finished third on the team in scoring, behind Bruce Thornton (15.7 points per game) and Jamison Battle (15.3 PPG).

A former high-profile recruit, Roddy Gayle Jr. was a four-star prospect and the No. 62 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

He checked in as the No. 8 shooting guard in the class and the No. 2 overall player from the state of Utah.

Ohio State adds Meechie Johnson commitment

Former South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson has committed to Ohio State, the guard announced via Instagram Tuesday evening. Johnson is heading back to where his college basketball career began but will play under Jake Diebler this go-round.

A big acquisition for Ohio State out of the NCAA transfer portal as a new era for the program begins under Diebler.

“I am a lifelong Buckeye,” Johnson said in a statement. “It was my dream to be a Buckeye, since I was a little kid. My story didn’t go exactly as planned but that’s life. I’m blessed to be able to have this opportunity to get back to where I belong and still have at least the ending I’ve always dreamed about, and I wouldn’t pass that up for anything.

“I’m coming back to The Ohio State University not just to come home but to be a leader, both on the court and in the community; in my hometown and state. Sure, I can be a leader and role model in communities elsewhere but it doesn’t have the same impact as it does to be a role model in your hometown, where I can tell kids when I meet & spend time with them that I’m from the same place as you.”

Johnson averaged 14.1 points while shooting 39.9% from the field in 33 games this season with South Carolina. He earned second-team All-SEC honors as the Gamecocks had a bounceback season in Year Two of Lamont Paris.

On3’s Griffin McVeigh also contributed to this report.