Recruiting rankings can be a cruel joke sometimes. Back in 2018, everyone in Columbus was buzzing about Tyreke Johnson. He wasn't just another recruit; he was a consensus five-star defensive back from Trinity Christian Academy in Florida, the kind of "can't-miss" prospect who was supposed to be the next first-round pick out of the Buckeye secondary.
He had the size. He had the speed. Most importantly, he had the pedigree. But by the time he left for Nebraska in 2021, the narrative had completely shifted.
Why didn't it work out? Honestly, it’s a mix of bad timing, a crowded room, and some pretty public friction that didn't come to light until years later. If you’re looking for a simple story of a "bust," you’re missing the actual drama that went down behind the scenes in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center.
The Hype vs. The Reality in Columbus
When Johnson stepped onto campus, he was ranked as the No. 21 overall player in the country by some services. You've gotta understand the expectations that come with that. Fans weren't asking if he’d start; they were asking when.
He redshirted in 2018. Standard stuff. But then 2019 came and went, and then 2020.
In three years, Tyreke Johnson played in just 12 games for Ohio State. He recorded a grand total of eight tackles. Basically, he was a ghost on the stat sheet. While guys like Jeff Okudah and Damon Arnette were turning into NFL stars, Johnson was stuck on the bench, buried under a depth chart that seemed to grow more talent every time he looked at it.
Why the Depth Chart Swallowed Him Whole
It wasn't just that he was "bad." It was that Ohio State was historically deep at corner. You had Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown ahead of him. Then, younger guys started jumping him. When you see a fifth-string running back like Demario McCall switch to defensive back and still find more daylight than a five-star recruit, you know there’s a problem.
Some insiders whispered that Johnson was a "tweener." He was recruited as a safety by some, a corner by others. He reportedly insisted on playing cornerback, even when his skill set might have translated better to a hybrid safety role. That rigidity can kill a career at a place like Ohio State where "versatility" is a buzzword coaches love to throw around.
The 2024 Bombshell: Calling Out Ryan Day
Most players who transfer out just give the standard "thank you for the memories" post and move on. Not Tyreke. In late 2024, after Ohio State lost another heartbreaker to Michigan, Johnson took to social media to air out some very specific dirty laundry.
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He claimed he knew Ryan Day wasn't "the answer" as far back as the 2020 National Championship against Alabama. According to Johnson, at halftime of that blowout, Day didn't give a Rah-Rah speech. Instead, Johnson says Day went into his office and started blaming his assistant coaches for the score.
Whether you believe him or not, that kind of public call-out is rare. It suggests that the culture fit during the Tyreke Johnson Ohio State era was far more fractured than anyone realized at the time.
The Nebraska Move and Life After the Buckeyes
In June 2021, Johnson entered the transfer portal and headed to Lincoln. Nebraska fans were hyped. They thought they were getting a disgruntled superstar ready for a "revenge tour."
It didn't happen.
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He played in only two games in 2021 and didn't see the field at all in 2022. Injuries, which he later claimed were a massive hurdle throughout his entire college career, seemed to dog him everywhere he went. By the time his eligibility was up, the former five-star was out of football entirely.
What We Can Learn from His Journey
- Stars Aren't Everything: Recruiting rankings are a projection of potential, not a guarantee of performance.
- Health is the Ultimate Variable: You can't develop if you're in the training room. Johnson’s constant "injury-hampered" seasons (his words) prevented him from ever getting the reps needed to adjust to Big Ten speed.
- Scheme Fit Matters: If a player and a coaching staff aren't on the same page about where someone should play, it's a recipe for a transfer.
If you're still following the Buckeyes, the best thing you can do is look past the star ratings of the current incoming class. Instead, watch who the coaches are trusting on special teams during their freshman year—that’s usually the real indicator of who's actually going to see the field. For Tyreke Johnson, the path was a reminder that even the brightest prospects can get lost in the shuffle of elite college football.