It might’ve been the opening weekend of the college football season, but Mike Boynton and his staff had a big weekend as well with the official visit of four-star guard Jeremiah Johnson.
A native Oklahoman, Johnson played at Putnam City North and Norman North before leaving the state’s borders to play at Wasatch Academy in Utah. He’ll play this upcoming season Phoenix Prep, which is set to join the Overtime Elite League.
Johnson is a four-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite rankings, listed as the No. 135 player in the 2024 class. Listed at 6-foot-4, 175 pounds, Johnson averaged 13.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 17 games with LivOn on Nike’s EYBL circuit this summer. He shot 47% from the field and 36% from 3-point range.
Johnson spoke with PFB on Tuesday night to recap his official visit to Stillwater and give updates to his recruitment on the whole.
PFB: How was the visit?
Johnson: “It was great. I had a great time seeing a lot of people that I know from OSU already, had a great time with the team, had a great time the coaches. Overall, it was a great experience.”
PFB: What all did you do?
Johnson: “Went to Coach’s crib, had dinner with him and the players and stuff like that. Got to chill with the players, actually got to hop in an open run with the players, too. Talked to the coaches about me possibly going there, how they would use me and how it would be if I was there. Also went to the football game that OSU played. That was good, and other than that just had a good time hanging out the players, hanging out with the coaches.”
PFB: Cade Cunningham had said in the past that those dinners at Boynton’s house went a long way in him picking OSU because it felt normal, not like they were putting on a show for a visit. Did you get that same vibe?
Johnson: “Yeah, for sure, for sure. I felt the same vibe. Oklahoma is already home for me, but just being in Stillwater, it felt like I was at home anyway still. It didn’t feel any different for sure.”
PFB: What is your relationship like with Mike Boynton? You’ve obviously known him a long time now.
Johnson: “Yeah, my relationship is real good. Mike was the first coach, first D-I coach, that took a chance on me and offered me my freshman year, so it’s always been good just talking to him no matter what. All the ups and downs and stuff, he has always been there, heavily recruited me, also just being there for me off the court, too. So, it’s very good.”
PFB: I imagine you know a lot of guys on the team, what are your relationships like with those guys?
Johnson: “It’s real good. Their freshmen, Brandon Garrison, I’ve grown up playing against him my whole high school career and middle school career. Me and Brandon live like 10 minutes away from each other, so I’ve been known him a long time, on basketball and off basketball, too. And then also Bryce Thompson, got to workout with him and his pops for like three, four years. So, that was good.”
PFB: You mentioned Oklahoma being home. Obviously you spent the past few years away from home in Utah and Arizona and proven you can do that, but does coming back home sound appealing to you?
Johnson: “For sure, for sure. It’s always good being close to your people, being closer to your friends and stuff. But yeah, that’s also been a big thing on my mind just being able to come back and not just being gone because I’ve been gone for the past couple years. So it’d be nice to come back to the city and do my thing.”
PFB: How much do you think your game has improved since going to Utah and Arizona?
Johnson: “I would say it improved my game a lot, but also it improved my mental. Just not really needing my dad, not really needing somebody to make me get up and do stuff. Like going away kind of helped me be more hungry just having to do stuff on my own, like making sure I find time to get in the gym. I still find time to handle the gym and school and all that stuff. And also just just making me more locked in, knowing that like, yeah, I’m by myself now, so if I really want it, I gotta get it on my own.”
PFB: That’s usually a big adjustment for freshmen, being on their own for the first time. So, do you think having these experiences in Utah and Arizona will put you a step ahead of a typical freshman?
Johnson: “Oh, yeah, for sure. I know for a fact a lot of kids always have somebody that’s helping them or pushing them, but whenever you leave from them and stuff like that, sometimes you feel like it’s a break or now it’s vacation so you don’t really be as locked in. I feel like me being gone, it’s just showed me like no matter what, if you want it, you got to do it, whether you got help or you don’t got help.”
PFB: Overtime Elite is still a relatively new thing. What has that opportunity been like?
Johnson: “It’s a great opportunity, especially just for like working with NIL purposes and things like that, boosting your name and image and stuff like that. And also it just gives you more time to be in the gym and just focus on your craft and overall just trying to get to where everybody’s trying to get to, and that’s NBA one day.”
PFB: What does OSU’s staff like about your game? What do they think you can be at the college level?
Johnson: “They feel I can be a really good playmaking guard that can not only just create for others, but also when it’s time and when it’s needed, do what I got to do, putting numbers up for me. So they feel like that I can come in next year and be productive already just right off the bat, just getting my teammates involved, being a leader on and off the court and also doing what I gotta do so I can try to get to the next level after that.”
PFB: Who did they have you watching in the film session?
Johnson: “A lot of Cade. They had be watching a lot of mostly Cade, but they also had me watching a lot of sets they do from the past years and how they feel like I can help them with what I bring to make their offense better.”
PFB: What other schools are you interested in right now?
Johnson: “For sure TCU. TCU was nice. SMU, Sam Houston is on there for sure. Those are the big ones right there.”
PFB: You visited TCU recently. Do you plan on taking any other visits?
Johnson: “I’ve got some visits planned for sure for the end of this month because I know for a fact I’m gonna be making my decision later this month. Right now, I’m aiming for probably Sept. 23 or something like that. That weekend. But I know we got a little open period up here to where coaches can kind of watch us in person practice, work out and stuff like that.”
PFB: Is that exciting knowing that this part of the journey will be wrapped up soon?
Johnson: “Yeah, for sure, I’m definitely excited that one, it’s all coming to an end and also that it’s a blessing to be able to choose where you want to go, to be able to pick from different high-major schools and stuff like that. So that’s a blessing also, just when I do pick a school, it being a relief knowing all I gotta do now is just focus on hoops, not where I want to go and all that stuff.”