As rosters continue to take shape for the 2025-26 college basketball season, clear-cut winners and losers have emerged from this portal cycle.
In an offseason loaded with NIL-related controversy, recruiting the transfer portal has become tougher than ever. Hoops HQ has partnered with The Portal Report, which has a data-based algorithm to rank every transfer class in the country. In the coming weeks, we will be ranking the men’s and women’s classes from each of the five major conferences. Today, we take a look at the SEC men’s classes.
1. Texas A&M
Incoming transfers: Rashaun Agee, 6-foot-7 graduate senior forward (USC); Zach Clemence, 6-foot-10 senior forward (Kansas); Federiko Federiko, 6-foot-11 senior center (Texas Tech); Rylan Griffen, 6-foot-5 senior guard (Kansas); Marcus Hill, 6-foot-4 graduate senior guard (NC State); Josh Holloway, 6-foot-2 junior guard (Samford); Pop Isaacs, 6-foot-2 redshirt junior guard (Creighton); Jacari Lane, 6-foot senior guard (North Alabama); Mackenzie Mgbako, 6-foot-8 junior forward (Indiana); Jamie Vinson, 6-foot-11 redshirt freshman (Texas).
The skinny: New Aggies coach Bucky McMillan arrived from Samford and reworked the roster with 10 transfer additions and a four-star freshman. Mgbako, the former Big Ten Rookie of the Year, looks like a marquee signing, and Isaacs has proven to be one of the country’s top guards when healthy. Former Bowling Green teammates Agee and Hill have shown the ability to be productive at the high-major level. Meanwhile, Griffen returns to the SEC and will look to recapture the success he had at Alabama in 2023-24. If Lane’s natural scoring ability translates to this level and the Aggies can squeeze production from Clemence and Federiko, Texas A&M should fare well McMillan’s debut season.
2. Vanderbilt
Incoming transfers: Frankie Collins, 6-foot-1 graduate senior guard (TCU); Tyler Harris, 6-foot-7 junior forward (Washington); Mike James, 6-foot-5 junior guard (NC State); George Kimble III, 6-foot-2 junior guard (Eastern Kentucky); Duke Miles, 6-foot graduate senior guard (Oklahoma); Mason Nicholson, 6-foot-10 graduate senior forward (Jacksonville State); AK Okereke, 6-foot-7 graduate senior forward (Cornell); Jalen Washington, 6-foot-10 senior center (North Carolina).
The skinny: Coach Mark Byington led the Commodores to the program’s best winning percentage since 2012 last season, his first at Vandy. In year two, he’ll look to continue climbing the SEC ladder and will have to do so once again with portal talent. Collins, Harris and Miles are capable contributors at this level to slot in alongside returnee Devin McGlockton. Nicholson was a defensive menace for Jacksonville State and will be teamed with Washington, who showed an improving offensive game for UNC last season. Kimble is youthful and raw, but his eccentric scoring ability will prove valuable in the SEC. Add Okereke’s versatility into the mix and you have another piece who can slot into the frontcourt but also play secondary to McGlockton on the wing.
3. Kentucky
Incoming transfers: Denzel Aberdeen, 6-foot-5 senior guard (Florida); Mouhamed Dioubate, 6-foot-7 junior forward (Alabama); Jaland Lowe, 6-foot-3 junior guard (Pitt); Reece Potter, 7-foot-1 junior center (Miami of Ohio); Jayden Quaintance, 6-foot-9 sophomore forward (Arizona State); Kam Williams, 6-foot-8 sophomore forward (Tulane.)
The skinny: Leading scorer Otega Oweh returns, but UK still will rely heavily on portal acquisitions. Lowe was a third-team All-ACC pick after averaging 16.8 points and 5.5 assists; he’ll slot in alongside Oweh in the backcourt. Aberdeen and Dioubate were respectable contributors for two of the nation’s best programs last season and should have no issues being productive with Kentucky. Quaintance and Williams are developmental pieces that can be impactful now; both are coming off all-freshman team selections in their respective conferences. While Potter is unproven, give him time to learn and grow next to returnee Brandon Garrison and the Wildcats should have good depth everywhere.
4. LSU
Incoming transfers: PJ Carter, 6-foot-5 graduate senior guard (Memphis); Rashad King, 6-foot-6 senior wing (Northeastern); Max Mackinnon, 6-foot-5 senior guard (Portland); Michael Nwoko, 6-foot-10 junior center (Mississippi State); Marquel Sutton, 6-foot-7 senior wing (Omaha); Pablo Tamba, 6-foot-6 graduate senior wing (UC Davis); Dedan Thomas Jr., 6-foot-1 junior guard (UNLV).
The skinny: Though the Tigers’ recent struggles have put coach Matt McMahon on the hot seat, his investment in the portal this offseason looks likely to help stabilize things. It starts with exciting offensive pieces in King, Mackinnon, Sutton, Tamba and Thomas; all averaged in double digits at previous stops. King was an All-CAA first-teamer in 2024-25. Mackinnon was a second-team All-WCC pick. Sutton was the Summit League Player of the Year. Thomas was a two-time first-team All-MWC selection. If all these former mid-major stars can transition quickly to the SEC, McMahon should have one of the highest-scoring squads in the conference next season.
5. Ole Miss
Incoming transfers: Augusto Cassia, 6-foot-8 junior forward (Butler); Corey Chest, 6-foot-8 sophomore forward (LSU); Kezza Giffa, 6-foot-1 graduate senior guard (High Point); Hobert Grayson, 6-foot-4 senior wing (Division II Ouachita Baptist); Koren Johnson, 6-foot-1 junior guard (Louisville); Travis Perry, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard (Kentucky); James Scott, 6-foot-10 junior forward (Louisville); AJ Storr, 6-foot-5 graduate senior guard (Kansas).
The skinny: Coach Chris Beard and lead guard Sean Pedulla put the Rebels back into the national spotlight with a run to the Sweet Sixteen in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. With Malik Dia set to take over the offensive reins for Pedulla, Beard recruited the portal to fill out the rest of his rotation. Unlike LSU, Ole Miss will rely heavily on high-major talent looking to take the next step in the form of additional playing time. Cassia, Chest, Perry and Scott failed to make significant inroads at previous stops, and will need to produce with more consistent minutes. Johnson and Storr have shown the ability to be effective high-major contributors when healthy and given the opportunity to play regularly. Giffa already looks the part of an effective high-major guard coming from a well-respected High Point program, and will be a key cog in Ole Miss rotation. Look out for Grayson; he averaged 21.8 points in Division II and was the conference player of the year and defensive player of the year. Beard has said he could be an important factor despite making the big jump to the SEC.
6. Oklahoma
Incoming transfers: Xzayvier Brown, 6-foot-2 junior guard (Saint Joseph’s); Tae Davis, 6-foot-9 senior forward (Notre Dame); Nijel Pack, 6-foot graduate senior guard (Miami); Derrion Reid, 6-foot-8 sophomore forward (Alabama).
The skinny: The Sooners’ transfer class certainly isn’t the largest, but it’s a group that packs a punch. Brown ran the offense in his two seasons at St. Joe’s, averaging 17.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while racking up accolades. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by Pack, a prolific scorer and capable playmaker who has averaged in double digits every season of his career. Davis is coming off a career-best season at Notre Dame, where he started 33 games and averaged 15.1 points. As for Reid, coach Porter Moser will look to unlock the talent of a once-highly recruited prospect.
7. Florida
Incoming transfers: AJ Brown, 6-foot-4 redshirt junior guard (Ohio); Boogie Fland, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard (Arkansas); Xaivian Lee, 6-foot-4 senior guard (Princeton).
The skinny: Despite losing three backcourt starters from last season’s national championship team, the Gators had enough returning talent up front to avoid a major investment in the portal. Still, Todd Golden brings in three of the SEC’s biggest transfer additions to help recoup some of that lost production. Brown, an Orlando native whose younger brother already was on the team, averaged 13.2 points per game while shooting 47.1 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three. Fland is a former top-100 prospect who received NBA interest this draft cycle. Similarly, Lee – a high school teammate of rising-star Gators forward Thomas Haugh – tested the draft process but instead opted for Florida after two stellar seasons in the Ivy League. All three figure to play pivotal roles as the Gators look to defend their title.
8. Texas
Incoming transfers: Camden Heide, 6-foot-7 junior forward (Purdue); Dailyn Swain, 6-foot-7 junior forward (Xavier); Lassina Traore, 6-foot-10 graduate senior forward (Xavier); Matas Vokietaitis, 7-foot sophomore center (FAU); Simeon Wilcher, 6-foot-4 junior guard (St. John’s).
The skinny: New coach Sean Miller is looking to hit the ground running and brought in five transfers to help fill out the rotation. Swain followed Miller from Xavier, where the former top-100 prospect came into his own as a sophomore with averages of 11.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Wilcher is another former top-100 prospect who never quite found his footing with St. John’s but showed flashes. Vokietaitis was the AAC Rookie of the Year after averaging 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Traore also followed Miller from Xavier, where he redshirted because of injuries; he is a former Long Beach State standout. If Heide can prove a viable high-major contributor after struggling at Purdue, this transfer group alone would make for an interesting lineup.
9. Tennessee
Incoming transfers: Amaree Abram, 6-foot-4 senior guard (Louisiana Tech); Jaylen Carey, 6-foot-8 junior forward (Vanderbilt); Ja’Kobi Gillespie, 6-foot-1 senior guard (Maryland).
The skinny: Tennessee lost its top four contributors from last season’s 30-win team. That could have led to more portal investment, but with a touted incoming freshman class, the Volunteers were meticulous about their transfer recruitment. Abram never quite flourished in stints at Ole Miss and Georgia Tech, but finally blossomed at Louisiana Tech and now looks ready for another high-major chance. Carey was an important role player last season at Vanderbilt and can take a step up as a veteran on this youthful roster. Gillespie will be a big key to any offensive success the Vols find in 2025-26. He, Abram and returnee Felix Okpara are the program’s only seniors, so coach Rick Barnes figures to rely heavily on the trio.
10. Georgia
Incoming transfers: Justin Bailey, 6-foot-3 senior guard (Wofford); Kanon Catchings, 6-foot-9 sophomore forward (BYU); Marcus Millender, 5-foot-11 junior guard (UTSA); Jordan Ross, 6-foot-3 junior guard (Saint Mary’s); Jeremiah Wilkinson, 6-foot-1 sophomore guard (California).
The skinny: Asa Newell departed for the NBA draft and Silas Demary transferred to UConn, forcing the Bulldogs to rebuild this offseason. Wilkinson was Georgia’s biggest portal signing after finishing as the ACC Sixth Man of the Year and averaging 15.1 points per game. Millender will play beside him; he is a proven scorer who averaged 14.9 points per game at UTSA. Bailey will add another experienced veteran to the backcourt rotation. Ross showed flashes of scoring ability with one of the nation’s top mid-major programs in Saint Mary’s last season. Catchings, meanwhile, could blossom if given the consistent playing time he deserves. The former top-100 prospect was able to contribute 7.1 points per game in limited minutes for BYU.
11. Mississippi State
Incoming transfers: Achor Achor, 6-foot-9 redshirt junior forward (Kansas State); Amier Ali, 6-foot-8 sophomore forward (Arizona State); Quincy Ballard, 6-foot-10 graduate senior center (Wichita State); Jayden Epps, 6-foot-2 senior guard (Georgetown); Ja’Borri McGhee, 6-foot senior guard (UAB); Brandon Walker, 6-foot-7 senior forward (Montana State).
The skinny: Coach Chris Jans has led the Bulldogs to three consecutive 21-win seasons, but they haven’t been able to advance past the first round of the NCAA tournament. This transfer class plus high-scoring returnee Josh Hubbard might be enough to break that three-season streak. Ballard and Walker can slide into the frontcourt, giving Hubbard viable options who are known for their physicality and versatility. Epps and McGhee can help take some of the scoring load off Hubbard’s shoulders. Epps has been a double-digit scorer the past two seasons at Georgetown, while McGhee finally got his shot in Division I last season and flourished with UAB. Hubbard was forced to carry the offense last season. This season, he’ll have more offensive talent beside him.
12. Alabama
Incoming transfers: Jalil Bethea, 6-foot-5 sophomore guard (Miami); Taylor Bol Bowen, 6-foot-10 junior forward (Florida State); Keitenn Bristow, 6-foot-10 sophomore forward (Tarleton State); Noah Williamson, 7-foot senior center (Bucknell).
The skinny: After a run to the Elite Eight, coach Nate Oats was able to retain a strong core of his roster and didn’t need to overindulge in the portal. Williamson, the 2024-25 Patriot League Player of the Year, will bring a new style of play for the Crimson Tide as a 7-footer. Behind him, Bol Bowen adds more size in addition to some high-major experience following a decent season for a struggling Florida State team. Bristow emphasizes Alabama’s need for length this offseason and was the 2024-25 WAC Rookie of the Year. Bethea will be tasked with helping to replace the lost production of Mark Sears. Bethea once was a top-10 prospect and should pair well with returnees Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon.
13. Auburn
Incoming transfers: Elyjah Freeman, 6-foot-8 sophomore wing (Division II Lincoln Memorial); Keyshawn Hall, 6-foot-7 senior forward (UCF); KeShawn Murphy, 6-foot-10 senior forward (Mississippi State); Kevin Overton, 6-foot-5 junior wing (Texas Tech).
The skinny: Gone are the days of Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara leading the Tigers to an SEC regular-season title. Broome now is in the NBA, while Baker-Mazara entered the portal with a season of eligibility remaining. Still, the Tigers were able to retain talent. All-SEC freshman selection Tahaad Pettiford will take over the reins, and Hall is a known commodity after two dominant seasons at George Mason and UCF. Murphy will be expected to contribute from the onset, arriving from another SEC program; he averaged 11.7 points and 7.4 rebounds last season. Overton was overshadowed at Texas Tech but still managed to contribute and is ready for a role that includes increased minutes. Freeman is potentially the Tigers’ most interesting addition. Coach Bruce Pearl had success with Division II transfer Chaney Johnson and Freeman brings size and versatility; he is a big wild card.
14. Missouri
Incoming transfers: Sebastian Mack, 6-foot-3 junior guard (UCLA); Luke Northweather, 6-foot-11 junior center (Oklahoma); Shawn Phillips Jr., 7-foot senior center (Arizona State); Jevon Porter, 6-foot-11 senior forward (Loyola Marymount); Jayden Stone, 6-foot-4 senior guard (West Virginia).
The skinny: Coach Dennis Gates took the Tigers from winless in the SEC during the 2023-24 season to a sixth-place finish in 2024-25. If Missouri wants to continue making strides, Gates has to hope his transfer additions can be effective working alongside returning forward Mark Mitchell. Stone and Mack can slide into the backcourt as primary scoring guards while returnee Anthony Robinson II is the lead ballhandler. Mizzou went really big in the frontcourt from the portal with Northweather, Phillips and Porter. Each will have an opportunity to grab the role beside Mitchell, and if Gates wants to use all this size, the Tigers could have perhaps the SEC’s biggest rotation.
15. South Carolina
Incoming transfers: Christ Essandoko, 7-foot redshirt junior forward (Providence); Meechie Johnson Jr., 6-foot-2 redshirt senior guard (Ohio State); Nordin Kapic, 6-foot-8 senior forward (UC San Diego); Kobe Knox, 6-foot-5 redshirt senior guard (USF); Mike Sharavjamts, 6-foot-9 senior forward (Utah); Elijah Strong, 6-foot-8 junior forward (Boston College).
The skinny: Following a last-place finish in the SEC and losing leading scorer Collin Murray-Boyles to the NBA draft, there are plenty of questions about the Gamecocks. Knox and Kapic were the program’s only additions from the portal who averaged in double digits last season, at 10.8 and 10.7 points per game, respectively. Strong, Sharavjamts and Essandoko have been role players at the high-major level, but will need to produce more with increased responsibility at South Carolina. If Johnson proves healthy and can return to form with a move back to South Carolina, the Gamecocks won’t finish 16th in the SEC again.
16. Arkansas
Incoming transfers: Malique Ewin, 6-foot-10 senior forward (Florida State); Nick Pringle, 6-foot-10 graduate senior forward (South Carolina).
The skinny: It’s a two-man class, but both can have major impacts. Ewin, a former top-100 prospect, went the JUCO route before joining Florida State last season and impressing with 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Pringle arrives with plenty of valuable SEC experience after stints at Alabama and South Carolina, most recently averaging 9.5 points per contest for the Gamecocks. Ewin likely will be a frontcourt starter, while Pringle works into the rotation off the bench.
