Top 30 Jasper Johnson talks Kentucky, Louisville, Ohio State, and more

Jasper Johnson is the No. 26 player in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. The 6-foot-4 guard averaged 20.1 points for his Woodford County (KY) team en route to the Kentucky State Tournament semifinals. This Spring, Johnson is playing up in age on Nike’s EYBL 17u Circuit.

Despite being one of the youngest players on his Team Thad’s 17u team, Johnson is second on the team in points (12.1), assists (2.3), and blocks (1.0) while shooting 50.9 percent from the field. Team Thad is currently tied for first place in Group A at 10-2.

“I like to play with a smooth pace,” Johnson told On3. “I like to get the ball out and see what we have. I’m big on getting my teammates involved. I take pride in being a good passer. I’ve gotten better on the defensive end. Coach Hurd (Team Thad travel team coach) preaches defense. I’ve become cool with D’Angelo Russell. We talk a lot. I have a lot of his breakdowns and like his game. Some people say I have some De’Aaron Fox in me. So I try to be like both of them.”

On3 caught up with Jasper Johnson to talk about his recruitment.

Johnson talks recruitment

“Of the schools that have offered,” Johnson said. “We’ve been to Louisville, Ohio State, Memphis, and a few more.”

Louisville: “I’m cool with Coach (Nolan) Smith. I’ve been on campus before, and I liked their environment the night they beat Clemson. Coach says he needs players who work in his system, and they said I fit their style.”

Memphis: “Coach Penny (Hardaway) likes big guards. He said he likes to get them mismatched on the post. He told me I need to go somewhere they let the guards play. I like their workout facility, and Coach Penny would be good to learn from.”

Ohio State: “I went to a football game and also got to watch basketball practice. I liked their facility and coaches. They are trying to turn things around, and coach said they need guards. Coach (Jack) Owens is a good dude, and we have built a relationship. Plus DLo (D’Angelo Russell) went there. The atmosphere there was hype. The skull session was crazy.”

“The schools that haven’t offered, we hear from LSU and Arizona,” Johnson said.

Johnson talks Kentucky

“It was nice to get the offer,” Johnson said. “I had a lot of texts and calls from people congratulating me. Being from Kentucky and seeing others in my class getting offered, I was motivated to keep grinding. I knew my time would come. They have a lot of tradition. Coach Cal (John Calipari) has had a lot of success with guards, and they go on to be good in the NBA. The Kentucky program is always one of the best teams in the country. They are everyone’s biggest game.”

In his words

“My dad, Dennis Johnson, played football at Kentucky. He was an All-American there and All-SEC,” Johnson said. “He played in the NFL for the Cardinals and 49ers. My uncle, Derrick Johnson, also played football at Kentucky. My mom’s brother, Julius Yeast, played football at Ohio State.”

“I want a school where I have a good relationship with the coaching staff. I want the staff to trust me and coach me to get to my dreams and goals. I’ll play whatever style they need me to. I like doing both, playing on or off the ball. Most teams have a few guards, so if I play off the ball, I think I can be effective. I play on and off the ball a lot on my travel team.”

On3 is currently higher than the industry on Jasper Johnson, the No. 21 overall player in the 2025 On3 75.