Ohio State offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. announced on Tuesday that he will forego his senior season and enter the 2023 NFL Draft.
Johnson was touted as one of the nation’s best tackles during his junior season, becoming a consensus All-American as Ohio State’s anchor at left tackle. Alongside his status as an All-American, Johnson was named a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award and a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy. Johnson is considered a surefire first-round selection in the upcoming draft by several outlets.
Joining the Buckeyes as a five-star recruit and No. 1 tackle in the 2020 recruiting class, Johnson arrived in Columbus with high expectations. Although he played sparingly his freshman season, playing five games with a majority of his snaps at guard, he slotted in as a starter in his second season, manning the right guard spot while Dawand Jones and Nicholas Petit-Frere served as the starting tackles.
While at guard, Johnson started in all 13 games and aided the Ohio State offense to 561.5 yards of total offense and 45.7 points per game, both top marks in the country in 2021.
Johnson slid back to tackle — his natural position — entering his junior season, manning the left tackle spot. The Cincinnati native allowed just two sacks during the 2022 season while helping the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff appearance. Ohio State averaged 44.2 points per game in 2022, ranking No. 2 in the nation.
Despite his dominant presence on the field, Johnson’s most notable work came away from the gridiron. Johnson was honored with the Armed Forces Merit Award for his work with the Paris Johnson Foundation, a charity that he created with his mother, Monica Daniels, that focuses on helping disabled veterans and disadvantaged student-athletes. Johnson created the foundation when he was in high school and has since raised over $10,000 to assist veterans, student-athletes and the homeless.
