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30 impact transfers for the 2025-26 college basketball season

It’s never too early to start looking ahead!

Check below for our list of 30 impact transfers for the 2025-26 college basketball season.

In no particular order:

Donovan Dent, UCLA (New Mexico): The best point guard that Mick Cronin has ever coached? Without question. An honorable mention All-American who averaged 20.4 points and 6.4 assists last season when he was at New Mexico, Dent willed the Lobos to an NCAA Tournament win over Marquette last March before he opted to transfer to Westwood. Think about this: Dent tallied 224 assists a year ago while no player on the Bruins’ roster had more than 109. 

Ryan Conwell, Louisville (Xavier): One of the best three-point shooters in the sport, this 6-5 lefty has made a combined 208 shots from long distance in his last two years of college basketball. He’ll be a major part of the Cards’ quest to push Duke for an ACC regular season title in 2025-26.

Darrion Williams, NC State (Texas Tech): Williams wasn’t just good in last season’s NCAA Tournament — he was elite. In four games during March Madness, the 6-6 forward averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, all while taking the Red Raiders to brink of the Final Four. He’ll be the focal point for NC State in its first season under Will Wade.

PJ Haggerty, Kansas State (Memphis): One of the most complete guards in the sport, Haggerty opted to transfer to Kansas State in an effort to refine his point guard skills. A tremendous scorer and rebounder, the 6-3 Haggerty regularly touched all areas of the box score last season, averaging 21.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.7 assists en route to earning AP Second-Team All-American honors. 

Rob Wright, BYU (Baylor): The most anticipated season in Cougars’ history became even more anticipated when Wright arrived via the transfer portal. Blessed with cheetah-like speed in the open court, the 6-1 Wright will give BYU a major burst in transition. He averaged 11.5 points and 4.2 assists last season at Baylor. 

Owen Freeman, Creighton (Iowa): Freeman isn’t going to be Ryan Kalkbrenner defensively at the front of the rim, but he’ll give the Bluejays a capable interior presence. A below the rim big man at 6-10, Freeman arrives in Omaha with strong credentials after two years at Iowa and averaged an impressive 16.7 points and 6.7 rebounds last season for the Hawkeyes. 

Bryce Hopkins, St. John’s (Providence): Could Hopkins be an All-American in 2025-26 after only playing a combined 17 games during each of the past two years? Don’t rule it out of the realm of possibility. When healthy, this rugged 6-7 forward has been one of the most productive players in the country. In 50 games at Providence over the past three seasons, Hopkins averaged 16.1 points and 8.3 rebounds. 

Ian Jackson, St. John’s (North Carolina): The 6-4 Jackson has incredible natural talent and will play a major role in the Red Storm’s quest to again be a national factor this season. He averaged 18.0 points last year at North Carolina in games where he logged 25 minutes or more. 

Joson Sanon, St. John’s (Arizona State): Like Jackson, the 6-5 Sanon is expected to be a major part of Rick Pitino’s perimeter plans for the Red Storm. He averaged in double figures — 11.9 points — and made 45 three-point shots last season as a freshman at Arizona State. 

Silas Demary Jr., UConn (Georgia): Dan Hurley’s best teams have always featured point guards who boasted tremendous size. That’s what the Huskies are getting with Demary. Tall and wiry at 6-5, Demary flourished at the point of attack last season with the Bulldogs (13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists) and led Georgia to its first March Madness appearance under Mike White. He’ll be part of a potential All-Big East backcourt in Storrs along with junior Solo Ball. 

Oscar Cluff, Purdue (South Dakota State): The Boilers wanted to add more size along their frontline and that’s exactly why they went out and got Cluff. After spending a year at Washington State, the 6-11 Cluff blew up last season with the Jackrabbits and averaged 17.6 points and 12.3 rebounds. He’ll play a key role up front for Purdue alongside both Trey Kaufman-Renn and Daniel Jacobsen. 

Henri Veesar, North Carolina (Arizona): Interior scoring was pretty much non-existent for the Tar Heels last season, but that won’t be the case now that Veesar is in Chapel Hill. The skilled 7-footer had a major hand in Arizona’s run to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament last March and had 13 points against Duke in the Sweet 16. 

Elliot Cadeau, Michigan (North Carolina): Dusty May has built a team in Ann Arbor that should compete for a Big Ten regular season title and Cadeau will be the on-court steward. After two years at North Carolina, this 6-1 floor general arrives at Michigan as a proven collegiate point guard. Cadeau was second in the ACC in assists last season, averaging 6.2 dimes per contest. 

Yaxel Lendeborg, Michigan (UAB): The Wolverines’ success with Danny Wolf and Vlad Goldin up front undoubtedly attracted players like Lendeborg out of the transfer portal. After putting up video-game like numbers last season in the American Athletic Conference — 17.7 points and 11.4 rebounds — the 6-9 Lendeborg will now be a vital part of Michigan’s frontcourt in 2025-26. This kid has All-Big Ten first-team caliber potential. 

Morex Johnson, Michigan (Illinois): The 6-9 Johnson averaged 6.4 points and 9.4 rebounds for Team USA at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland this past summer and should be an impactful newcomer with the Wolverines. Armed with a tremendous nose for the ball, Johnson had a 15-rebound game last season as a freshman at Illinois when he logged 31 minutes against Ohio State. 

Desmond Claude, Washington (USC): The Huskies should be one of the most improved teams in college basketball this season and the addition of Claude (15.8 points, 4.2 assists, 3.8 rebounds) is a major reason why. An All-Big Ten caliber guard with great size at 6-6, Claude can regularly get into the paint and attack the teeth of the defense. His commitment immediately made things extra interesting for the upcoming season in Seattle. 

Wesley Yates, Washington (USC): Like Claude, Yates spent last season at USC before opting to head to the Great Northwest. And like Claude, Yates arrives in Seattle with tangible expectations. A former top-30 recruit, Yates scored 20 or more points seven different times last season in Big Ten play. 

Jason Edwards, Providence (Vanderbilt): Kim English wanted players out of the transfer portal who had proven power conference experience and he got that in Edwards. The leading scorer on last season’s Vanderbilt team that made the NCAA Tournament, the 6-1 Edwards should make a major impact for the Friars. This is an All-Big East caliber addition for Providence. 

Boogie Fland, Florida (Arkansas): Todd Golden needed a high usage guy on the perimeter to complement his seasoned and deep baseline. He’s getting just that in Fland. A former five-star freshman, this New York native put up big numbers last season before being sidelined with a hand injury in January. Remember: Fland had 20 points and seven assists when Arkansas beat Michigan last December at the Jimmy V Classic at MSG. 

Xaivian Lee, Florida (Princeton): Going from the Ivy League to the SEC will be an adjustment for Lee, but he should be able to give the Gators another capable piece alongside Fland on the perimeter. In his only game last season against a power conference opponent, the 6-4 Lee tallied 21 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds when Princeton upset Rutgers in December.

Jaland Lowe, Kentucky (Pitt): If Lowe does statistically this season for Kentucky what did last season for Pitt — 16.8 points, 5.5 assists, 4.2 rebounds — he’ll be an All-American. If he doesn’t, he’ll still be capable of making Rupp Arena his own personal sanctuary each time he takes the floor. This is the best point guard in college basketball that not enough people truly know about. 

Denzel Aberdeen, Kentucky (Florida): Aberdeen surprised a lot of people when he opted to leave a team that had just won the national title, but this is Kentucky. After serving as a role player last season off the bench behind Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard, and Alijah Martin, this 6-5 combo guard aims to have a bigger role for the Wildcats after averaging 7.7 points a year ago in Gainesville. 

Mouhamed Dioubate, Kentucky (Alabama): I’d say that Dioubate is going to be a fan favorite at Rupp Arena by Christmas, but since there’s open practices and public exhibition games, he may be revered by Halloween. A tremendous Glue Guy with untapped offensive potential, the 6-7 Dioubate figures to be a major linchpin in Mark Pope’s attack. 

Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky (Arizona State): If healthy, Quaintance is a legitimate National Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Blessed with incredible instincts and timing, the 6-9 Quaintance blocked a combined 10 shots in back-to-back games for Arizona State last January in the heart of Big 12 play. If he’s 100 percent, the ceiling instantly changes in Lexington. 

Keyshawn Hall, Auburn (UCF): The Big 12’s leading scorer last season, the 6-7 Hall (18.8 points, 7.1 rebounds) is a legit offensive talent that should give the Tigers a strong secondary option alongside Tahaad Pettiford. Hall’s productivity included a 40-point effort on Jan. 14th against Arizona State. 

Bennett Stirtz, Iowa (Drake): Stirtz was an honorable mention All-American last under Ben McCollum at Drake. At Iowa, he’ll again be expected to be one of the top point guards in the sport. The 6-4 Stirtz averaged 21 points and six assists in two NCAA Tournament games last March, one of which was an upset victory over Missouri. 

Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Tennessee (Maryland): How is Rick Barnes going to replace Zakai Zeigler? This guy. The 6-1 Gillespie was the heartbeat of Maryland’s offense last season and can impact a game by either scoring (14.7) or assisting (4.8). During a two-game stretch in the Big Ten Tournament, Gillespie had a combined assist-to-turnover ratio of 18:1. 

Dailyn Swain, Texas (Xavier): Sean Miller isn’t the only one going from Cincinnati to Austin. Swain’s decision to follow his coach to Texas means that the Longhorns are getting an impact wing who will likely play both the three and four during his time with the Longhorns. The 6-8 Swain had 27 points and eight rebounds against Illinois last March in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

Rodney Rice, USC (Maryland): The Trojans paid top dollar for Rice out of the transfer portal after he put up quality numbers — 13.8 points and 80 made three-point shots — during Maryland’s run to the Sweet 16 last March. Expect Rice to be a major offensive focal point for USC as this program tries to navigate its second season in the Big Ten. 

Chad Baker-Mazara, USC (Auburn): Eric Musselman has always loved guards with size who could pass, dribble, and shoot. That’s Baker-Mazara in a nutshell. The 6-7 veteran was a major part of Auburn’s run to the Final Four last spring and he’ll play a major role for USC in 2025-26. Expect Musselman to use Baker-Mazara in all different spots on the floor in an effort to exploit mismatches when there’s an opportunity. 

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