Puff Johnson cleared to play rest of season for Ohio State after judge’s ruling

Puff Johnson received some good news on Monday. He’s been cleared to finish the season with Ohio State following the latest development in his eligibility lawsuit, On3 has learned.

A Franklin County judge upheld the temporary restraining order that allowed Johnson to join the Buckeyes in mid-January. That ended his legal uncertainty and cleared him to remain on the active roster for the rest of the year.

Puff Johnson will now be able to finish the season with the Buckeyes as they look to secure an NCAA Tournament bid.

Over the course of his collegiate career, Johnson has played five years of basketball – three at North Carolina from 2020-23 and two at Penn State from 2023-25. He transferred to Ohio State this offseason. During that time, he appeared in 111 games, although made 14 appearances as a freshman in 2020-21 due to injuries.

Because he played in 2020-21, Johnson had a “COVID year,” which is how he got a fifth season. But Ohio State applied for a medical hardship waiver in Summer 2025 after he transferred, citing injuries sustained in 2024-25 at Penn State after starting in 17 games. The NCAA denied the waiver because Johnson played in more than 30% of the regular-season games.

“This decision represents a significant moment not only for Puff but for the continued evolution of college athletics,” said Shumaker Partner Nicholas Stack, Johnson’s attorney. “The Court recognized that eligibility rules cannot be applied in a vacuum, particularly where medical misdiagnosis and premature return-to-play decisions directly deprived an athlete of a season.” 

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In his suit, which was first filed in federal court, Johnson challenged the NCAA’s hardship restriction prevented him from pursuing “his rights to a contract for NIL compensation,” the filing states. His motion for a temporary restraining order was denied in November by the federal judge, and he re-filed in state court Jan. 15.

Last week, a state judge in the court of common pleas in Franklin County, Ohio, granted the TRO on Friday after a refiling. Judge Sheryl K. Munson’s order allows him to play ahead of a hearing scheduled for Jan. 30. Now, it’s been upheld.

“Johnson has demonstrated that he will suffer irreparable injury if a temporary restraining order is not issued, including the imminent and permanent loss of his final collegiate season at The Ohio State University, as well as loss of development opportunities, exposure, and associated NIL value, harms that are incalculable and cannot be remedied by money damages,” the order read.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Ohio State coach Jake Diebler acknowledged the length of the legal process for Johnson to become eligible. He also expressed his excitement to get him on the court.

“We’re excited for Puff to join our program,” Diebler said. “This has been a long process for he and his family. We’re happy for them and are looking forward to him getting on the court.”

Puff Johnson put up the best numbers of his career in 2024-25 at Penn State, averaging 10.2 points and 4.4 rebounds across 17 games. He dealt with multiple injuries, including a heel stress fracture, broken right hand and a concussion, before enrolling at Ohio State. Now we’ll see what he’s got for the Buckeyes moving forward.

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this article.