Inside the Year 2 transfer jump: UConn’s Tarris Reed Jr., Arkansas’ DJ Wagner headline breakout candidates

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The rapid growth from a transfer in his second year with a new club has been an under-the-radar trend that has had serious implications on college basketball, specifically over the last two seasons.

The CBS Sports 2023-24 All-American team featured transfers like UConn’s Tristen Newton, Creighton’s Baylor Scheierman, Illinois‘ Terrence Shannon Jr., San Diego State’s Jaedon LeDee and Alabama’s Mark Sears, who all enjoyed breakthrough seasons in … their second year with their respective team.

It came to fruition yet again with the 2024-25 All-American selections that starred Year 2 transfers like Florida do-everything guard Walter Clayton Jr., St. John’s bullyball wing RJ Luis Jr. and Houston sharpshooter LJ Cryer. 

Using the All-American benchmark even excludes Year 2 transfer success stories from the past two years like Auburn‘s Johni Broome, Providence‘s Devin Carter, Kansas‘ Kevin McCullar, Gonzaga‘s Ryan Nembhard, Iowa State‘s Curtis Jones, Colorado State‘s Nique Clifford or Texas Tech‘s Darrion Williams.

Landing a transfer can be great, but keeping them for that second season is when something magical can happen. 

So, who are the top Year 2 transfer jump candidates for the 2025-26 season? There actually aren’t quite as many options as you’d think this year. 49 of the top 100 transfers from the 2024 cycle are returning to college basketball, but a whopping 28 of those 49 returners hit the portal again. Nine were impacted by a coaching change, which makes the departure understandable. That leaves 40 of the top-100 transfers who had the opportunity to return to the same coach and the same scheme. 

21 stayed. 19 dipped, even with the data suggesting things tend to trend in the right direction if you stay. Such is life in the crazed money-driven transfer portal.

Inserting studs like Kentucky‘s Otega Oweh and Texas Tech’s JT Toppin feels like cheating after they enjoyed dominant campaigns last year. Both transfers had fantastic seasons in their first year with their new team.

Oweh and Toppin will enter 2025-26 as frontrunners for SEC Player of the Year and Big 12 Player of the Year, respectively. Houston’s Milos Uzan is another one who had his breakout season last year under Kelvin Sampson. The stud lead guard should be ridiculously impactful, yet again, for a National Championship hopeful.

We know those three dudes are awesome, so let’s go deeper down the board and dive into eight candidates who could be ridiculously impactful with help from the Year 2 transfer jump.

F Devin McGlockton, Vanderbilt

The scoop: McGlockton’s counting stats won’t jump off the page, but he quietly was one of the most valuable players in the country and a total needle-mover for a Mark Byington-led Vanderbilt squad that exceeded expectations and earned an NCAA Tournament berth. The 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward was an elite connector who played with a revving motor every night. 

Simply put: Vanderbilt was a good basketball team with McGlockton on the floor (+17 net rating) and a bad one when he sat (-10.1 net rating), per hoop-explorer. That’s a staggering difference and a real tip of the cap to McGlockton’s two-way brilliance. 

Area to improve: Is there more in the tank offensively? McGlockton operated more as a lower-usage rover, of sorts, for Vanderbilt’s offense, who could get in and out of pick-and-rolls fluidly and happened to be in the right place at the right time on the offensive glass. When Byington unleashed him as a small-ball 5-man, McGlockton’s fluid athleticism gave those slow-footed, brute-force centers some problems. 

But Vanderbilt is prepared to shape-shift its lineup construction in 2025-26. The additions of transfers like Jalen Washington and Mason Nicholson allow McGlockton to play mostly at the 4 or even on the wing in some jumbo sets. McGlockton has slowly but surely shot more triples as his career progressed. Can he take and make more treys? Can he add more polish to his game as a post-up hub who can punish switches and win just enough one-on-one wars against burly SEC forwards? If so, McGlockton can cement himself as one of the best players in this bear of a league.

C Tarris Reed Jr., UConn

The scoop: Reed was just fine in his first year in Storrs. He transferred from Michigan to UConn to become half of Danny Hurley’s center platoon, and he posted the best per-minute rebounding numbers in the Big East while anchoring the back line of a UConn defense that was a significantly better unit when he was on the floor. Reed fouled a lot and made some rip-your-hair-out mistakes that had Hurley seemingly on edge at all times when he had the rock, but it was generally a solid season. 

Area to improve: Reed is tantalizing because he can be so, so, so much better after a full offseason under this coaching staff. The Adama Sanogo  prophecies aren’t hard to visualize when Reed is posting a 24-point, 18-rebound, six-block effort against Providence or pulverizing Xavier for 20 points and 13 boards. With Samson Johnson graduating, Reed has a runway to earn more minutes and put it all together as a consistent, two-way big man who is a load on both ends. 

Defensively, there’s so much more meat on the bone, even after Reed posted the second-best block percentage in the Big East. The 6-foot-10, 260-pound big fella showed flashes of being able to switch onto lead guards in an emergency and hold his own. If Reed can eliminate some of the iffy fouls and become a trustworthy switch-everything option, UConn’s defensive versatility would be tantalizing. 

G DJ Wagner, Arkansas

The scoop: Arkansas’ high-highs and low-lows campaign was marred with injuries galore, but Wagner was available every single night. The 6-foot-4, 195-pound lead guard started all 36 games, rarely came off the floor and played plenty of defense. Wagner averaged 11.2 points and 3.6 assists, but he shot just 40% from the field and posted a mediocre 96.3 offensive rating during SEC play, per KenPom. Wagner’s play was never the problem during the rough patches of Arkansas’ 2024-25 season, but he wasn’t necessarily the solution, either.

Area to improve: Arkansas can’t accomplish its lofty 2025-26 goals without the former five-star guard elevating his offensive game. Wagner has shot under 31% from downtown in back-to-back seasons. Will that change as he shifts into being an upperclassman? At some point, Wagner has to start being more of a consistent threat from 3-point range, but improving as a decision-maker might be most valuable to this Arkansas offense. Over 20% of Wagner’s 151 pick-and-roll possessions last year ended in a turnover. That turnover rate has to tick down. 

Wagner is a big, strong guard with a quick first step, but he had 23 games last season where he drew one or fewer shooting fouls. That’s incomprehensible. Slowing down and adding some deceleration to his drives could bring another layer to Wagner’s game and help him become a more efficient threat to finish at the rim. Plus, Wagner can overpower small guards when he plays off two feet and get even more trips to the charity stripe. Wagner’s only a few tweaks away from averaging 15 points a night to go along with his rock-solid defense. That version of Wagner elevates Arkansas into a new category. 

F Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State

The scoop: Hitting on transfer-portal acquisitions is hard, but T.J. Otzelberger sure makes it look easy. Jefferson looked like a perfect fit on paper for Iowa State, and sure enough, he turned into one of the most reliable forwards in the Big 12. Jefferson totaled 13 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.1 steals for the Cyclones. He was a two-way cog for everything Iowa State wanted to be on both ends of the floor, and the consistency was unparalleled. Jefferson cracked double figures in 21 of the final 24 games and was named All-Big 12 Second Team.

Area to improve: Jefferson does a little bit of everything well, but he has to become a more dynamic driver to flirt with Big 12 Player of the Year status in 2025-26. Jefferson averaged a shocking 0.54 points per possession on 93 drives last season with a turnover rate that soared over 25%. Part of that was how right-handed he was. Opposing defenses were sitting on his strong hand constantly, and when he couldn’t create separation with his bulldozing shoulders, Jefferson was forced to take some awkward, tough shots. Adding more counters to his bag has to be an offseason priority. Otzelberger’s player-development success stories are well-documented, so it wouldn’t be surprising at all if Jefferson has more in his tool bag when he attacks the Big 12 for a second time. 

Jefferson was a good player for Iowa State last year. If the drives become more impactful, he can be a great one in 2025-26.

G Kylan Boswell, Illinois

The scoop: The situation was everything for Boswell. He transferred from Arizona who ran with double-big lineups galore, to Illinois who had one of the best-shooting frontcourts in the country. Boswell went from rarely getting to the rim or the free throw line at Arizona to posting the 14th-highest free throw rate in the Big Ten and taking nearly half of his shots at the rim for the Illini. It helped him post the most efficient offensive numbers of his career … even during a season where he shot just 25% from 3-point land. It was a bit of a winding road with some low-lows during the middle of league play, but Boswell finished his junior season stuffing the stat sheet with 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists while playing like an All-Big Ten Defense selection. Even with a jumper that betrayed him, Boswell had his best season.

Area to improve: Boswell is awesome in the shadows of an offense, but Illinois needs him to be more reliable in the bright-light possessions. He’s a sneaky-terrific cutter who developed real chemistry with big man Tomislav Ivisic, who could fling lobs to the rim where Boswell, who is a take-your-head-off free safety in another life, just big-boy’d undersized guards. Illinois used him in the dunker spot or as a screener in guard-on-guard pick-and-rolls to bend defenses in unique ways, similar to how the Boston Celtics utilized the brilliant Jrue Holiday for years. That’s a really useful player, but Illinois needs even more. 

Boswell posted a turnover rate north of 20.0 in Big Ten play, often due to over-dribbling through crowds or being too predictable with his reads. At times, Boswell would pass up good 3s to take tough 3s, and his percentages sank like a stone. Boswell has moments where he can be a nasty isolation scorer and put big men on skates with herky-jerky drives, but he fell in love with stepback, pull-up treys. Boswell shot 39% and 38% in two years at Arizona. He’s a good shooter and a great defender. If he can blend his brilliance in the dark with a simplified game in the light, Boswell can go toe-to-toe with any of the elite Big Ten guards. 

F Eric Dailey Jr., UCLA

The scoop: Dailey was UCLA’s most valuable player by just about every respected advanced metric after averaging over 11 points a game for a balanced Bruins club. Dailey, who was often praised for his tenacious work ethic by the hard-to-impress Mick Cronin, was one of the most efficient offensive players in the Big Ten, shooting 38% from 3-point range, 57% on 2s and 72% at the line. 

Area to improve: Dailey plays hard, but his sophomore-year tape was filled with defensive mistakes, which earned him a spot on the bench and limited his minutes some nights. Dailey is a good athlete, but defending in space is still a challenge. He’s a bit stiff in his hips and allowed a few too many straight-line drives. He let drivers get where they wanted with over-aggressive pursuits. Cronin’s stout pack-line defensive philosophy requires on-point closeouts and excellent scramble drills. It’s easy to bet on a talented prospect like Dailey finding ways to ace this defensive game plan after another full offseason. 

If that happens, this offensive situation might be even more conducive to a big year. New point guard Donovan Dent will get him more runouts in transition, where he thrives. UCLA is preparing to play Dailey at the 3 more often next to floor-stretching bigs like Tyler Bilodeau and Xavier Booker. Sign me up for all the mismatch-hunting. But it hinges on Dailey becoming a trustworthy defender every night. This is Dent’s team, but Dailey has All-Big Ten upside if it clicks. 

G Aden Holloway, Alabama

The scoop: Turns out, transferring into one of the best offensive schemes was a smart decision for Holloway, who shot over 41% from downtown under Nate Oats and became one of the best sixth men in the country. Holloway averaged over 11 points a night and drained 87 treys for an Alabama squad that advanced to the Elite Eight and won 28 games. Holloway joined the rare 40-40 club, by shooting over 40% on a high volume of both catch-and-shoot and pull-up 3-pointers.

Area to improve: With Mark Sears departing, there’s a world of opportunity for Holloway to turn into even more of a featured player in this 3-point-happy brigade. Holloway leading the SEC in treys is firmly in the range of potential outcomes, but is there more to his game? Can he become more of a nuisance defensively? Can he become a special off-movement shooter? Can he get more pressure on the rim when Alabama has its five-shooter lineups on the floor with Aiden Sherrell and Taylor Bol Bowen operating the front line? Labaron Philon‘s return is the life raft Alabama needed, but Holloway has shades of LJ Cryer in his game that can be showcased on center stage in 2025-26. The Philon-Holloway pairing can be one of the most potent backcourt duos in the sport next season.

G Roddy Gayle Jr., Michigan

The scoop: At one point in the preseason, Michigan coach Dusty May believed Gayle was going to be the best player on the team. That did not transpire, and a rollercoaster first season for Gayle in Ann Arbor ensued. Gayle scored five or fewer points in eight games. He also had a 26-point eruption against Texas A&M to help send Michigan to the Sweet 16. The 6-foot-5 guard is streaky, equally frustrating and tantalizing. But to his credit, he did not transfer despite losing his spot in the starting lineup.

Area to improve: Michigan’s new additions like Yaxel Lendeborg, Morez Johnson and Elliot Cadeau should all help the transition offense be a major strength of this 2025-26 club. Cadeau wants to push the pace and pass ahead relentlessly. Johnson is a rugged rebounder, and he flies up the floor. Lendeborg can grab-and-go and push in transition as well as any forward in the country. In theory, that should be right up Gayle’s alley. He’s an athletic, hard-playing guard who has moments of being a menace in the open floor. If he runs the floor hard, Lendeborg and Cadeau could just feed him a couple of buckets a night. 

Confidence feels like everything with Gayle. He moves differently when he’s playing with a swagger. He can be a heat-seeking missile who gets to the foul line at will. He can easily be a double-figure scorer every night for this Michigan club if he cuts smartly, gets out in transition and gets four-plus free throw attempts per game.

Plus, Michigan’s guards last year rarely could crease the defense with drives, which is why the Danny Wolf-Vlad Goldin pick-and-roll became such a huge part of Michigan’s offense. That had a negative effect on Gayle, who is at his best when he can attack rotating defenses. That shouldn’t be as much of an issue with Cadeau (a paint-touch guard) at the helm. Trigger-men like Cadeau, Lendeborg and even Aday Mara should unlock more feasible driving lanes for Gayle to attack, even with the shooting concerns on this Michigan roster. 

Gayle’s entire profile screams positive regression. Is he seriously going to shoot 3-for-34 from 3-point range in Big Ten play again? Is he really going to shoot under 50% on layups again? That seems far-fetched. It’s now or never to put it all together.

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