Florida basketball standout Keyontae Johnson transferring to Kansas State; hasn't played since on-court collapse

Florida basketball standout Keyontae Johnson is transferring to Kansas State.

The 23-year-old forward announced his decision on Instagram on Saturday. His next game action will mark the first time he's played since he collapsed on the court during a 2020 game against Florida State, leaving him hospitalized in critical condition and placed in a medically induced coma.

Johnson was upgraded to stable condition days after being admitted to the hospital. He was released after 10 days and eventually rejoined his Florida teammates on the bench without playing. He remained with the program through the 2021-22 season and made a ceremonial start on Senior Day in March, but didn't play after receiving the game's opening tip.

The circumstances of Johnson's condition remain unclear. His family has not disclosed his precise medical diagnosis. Florida never cleared him to return to the court.

Johnson graduated in April with remaining NCAA eligibility and announced his intent to transfer and play next season. He chose Kansas State after also considering Memphis, Nebraska and Western Kentucky. It's not clear if Kansas State's yet cleared him to play.

Can Johnson return to All-Conference form?

Johnson earned first-team All-SEC honors as a sophomore in 2020 and entered the 2020-21 season as the SEC preseason player of the year. If he's cleared and able to return to form, he could be an immediate impact player for the Wildcats.

A 6-5 forward, Johnson averaged 14 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 54.4% from the field and 38% from 3-point distance during his last full season as a sophomore in 2019-20. He was considered an NBA prospect prior to his collapse.

$5 million insurance policy at stake if Johnson plays

The Associated Press reports that Johnson has a $5 million insurance policy that would pay out if he's not able to play again. Per AP, the policy allows him to play in a few games to see how his health responds. If he plays beyond a set amount of games, the policy would be voided. If he is cleared to play, he would face a Jan. 28 game against his former team when Kansas State plays Florida in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge.

Johnson was the subject of a sexual assault investigation in March stemming from an alleged incident at a Gainesville pool party. He was never arrested, and prosecutors dismissed charges, citing a lack of evidence.

"I also want to thank the State Attorneys Office that did a full investigation and agreed with what I’ve said all along. ... that I didn’t do anything wrong," Johnson said via a statement in response to the dropped charges. "This has been a really difficult situation for everybody involved, and I just hope that we all can move forward from here and find peace."