Big changes are coming at BYU as Kevin Young looks to lead the Cougars to greater heights after a disappointing first-round exit at the NCAA Tournament last season. AJ Dybantsa is leaving for the NBA after a stellar freshman year, and Young’s main objective for the offseason will be to figure out how to replace his top scorer.
Here’s the latest on BYU’s departures and additions in the offseason ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season.
BYU Cougars’ 2026 Transfer Portal Tracker
Players Leaving in the Transfer Portal
- Aleksej Kostić
- Abdullah Ahmed
- Kennard Davis Jr.
- Dominique Diomande
- Xavion Staton
- Tyler Mrus
- KJ Perry
Kostić averaged 12 minutes of playing time for BYU in his freshman year and scored 4.4 points per game at 36.8% shooting. He has committed to Northwestern for his sophomore season.
Ahmed averaged 1.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per game off the bench for the Cougars. Before suiting up for BYU, the center played for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G League.
Davis had 8.5 points and 2.7 rebounds per game for the Cougars in his junior year. He is attracting interest from several teams.
Diomande has committed to Pitt after spending his freshman year at BYU. He averaged 1.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game off the bench last season.
After being limited to a bit-part role at BYU, Staton is headed to Oregon State. Mrus played 27 games off the bench for the Cougars last season and averaged 2.0 points per game. The forward has entered the transfer portal ahead of his senior year. Perry did not play for BYU last season and has now entered the transfer portal.
Confirmed Departures
- AJ Dybantsa
- Richie Saunders
- Keba Keita
- Mihailo Bošković
- Jared McGregor
Dybantsa is leaving BYU after a historic freshman year in which he averaged 25.5 points per game on 51.0% shooting. The forward has declared for the NBA Draft, where he is expected to be a top-5 pick.
Saunders spent all four seasons of college eligibility at BYU. He enjoyed a strong senior year, averaging 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game from the starting lineup.
Keita spent his last two seasons of college eligibility at BYU. The forward was a starter for Young’s team last season, averaging 6.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game.
Bošković came off the bench for BYU in his senior year, averaging 3.0 points per game. McGregor made 7 appearances off the bench for the Cougars in his senior year.
Returning/Incoming Players at BYU
- Robert Wright III
- Collin Chandler
- Jake Wahlin
- Tyler Betsey
- Adam Stewart
- Bruce Branch
- Dean Rueckert
- Brooks Bahr
BYU received a big boost after Wright withdrew his name from the transfer portal and decided to return for his senior year. After joining BYU from Baylor ahead of his sophomore year, the guard averaged 18.1 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Chandler joins BYU from Kentucky, where he averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game in his sophomore year.
Wahlin is a 6-foot-10 forward who averaged 5.3 points and 3.9 rebounds at Clemson last season. He joins BYU for his senior year.
Betsey joins from Syracuse after averaging 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds last season. The forward also shot 40.7% from three.
Stewart joins BYU after spending the last two years with TCU. The center played just 6 games across those two seasons with the Horned Frogs.
Branch, Rueckert, and Bahr are part of BYU’s 2026 recruiting class. Branch is a five-star recruit and is regarded as one of the most exciting young forwards in the country.
