The transfer portal is off to a hot start with hundreds of players looking for new homes. Well, for Denzel Aberdeen, it’s a home that he’s familiar with as he’s heading back to the Florida Gators for the 2026-27 season after one year at the University of Kentucky.
Denzel Aberdeen Headed to Florida
The Gators are bringing back Aberdeen after his one season with the Wildcats. Aberdeen won the national championship in 2025 with the Gators and decided to test the waters elsewhere. The grass isn’t always greener and Aberdeen is going to be back with the Gators.
NEWS: Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen has committed to Florida, per source. pic.twitter.com/3Zj4nX3iG3
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) April 10, 2026
Aberdeen had a solid year for the Wildcats as he averaged a career-high 13.5 points per game in his most efficient scoring season of his collegiate career. The Gators are losing talent with Micah Handlogten and Olivier Rioux entering the transfer portal and need to find answers to rebuild their program. Although, Aberdeen is a guard and the outgoing transfers are big men, Florida needed another guard after Xaivian Lee is out of eligibility.
Florida will be sweating as they await decisions on some of their best players from last season. Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Reuben Chinyelu are deciding on entering the 2026 NBA Draft and could leave bigger problems for the Gators.
Haugh will very likely be a first-round pick so a return for him is unlikely while Condon and Chinyelu could find themselves picked in the early second round and have a slightly higher chance to return to school. But it would be tough to bank on these prospects to come back to the Gators.
Luckily, guard Boogie Fland is coming back to lead the backcourt and could be paired with Aberdeen to be the starting guards that Florida needs to get back to the national championship.
The Gators weren’t expecting to be dumped out of the NCAA Tournament in the second round to the No. 9 seed Iowa Hawkeyes after returning numerous pieces from their championship roster. Although they are likely losing some of their national championship pieces, they’ll be bringing Aberdeen back as an improved scorer.
Head coach Todd Golden has rebuilt Florida into a national championship contender and he’s looking to do it again. Aberdeen is his first addition and victory in the transfer portal, but getting Fland to stay is another big win for the Gators. They should be one of the favorites to top the SEC once again next season.
