BYU Center Xavion Staton to Enter the Transfer Portal

BYU true freshman big man Xavion Staton will enter the transfer portal when it opens on Tuesday, he announced on social media. Staton signed with BYU as part of the 2025 recruiting class - he was one of the top centers in the nation and a top 50 recruit nationally. Staton will enter the transfer portal after just one season at BYU.

Love you, Cougar Nation 🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/6LMibpwfkK
— Xavion Staton (@XavionStaton) April 7, 2026

"I want to sincerely thank my coaches, teammates, and the entire program for pushing me, believing in me, and helping me grow every day," Staton said. "I'm also extremely grateful for my family and their constant love and support.

According to 247Sports, Staton will enter the portal with a "Do Not Contact" tag. Historically, players that enter the portal with that tag already have a destination in mind before they enter the transfer portal.

Staton is the first BYU player to announce his plans to enter the transfer portal. He will not be the last.

The transfer portal opens to all college basketball players on Tuesday. The Cougars will not only see players enter the portal, they will also be active in trying to acquire talent from the portal as well. BYU is looking to build a roster around Rob Wright III and five-star wing Bruce Branch.

Staton will certainly be a lesson learned for the BYU coaching staff. While he was highly-rated for his high ceiling, he was a very raw prospect. In the NIL era - especially in a win-now season - raw recruits that are expensive might not be the best way to fill out the roster. Staton wasn't physically ready and developed enough offensively to make an immediate impact.

Staton appeared in nine games for BYU before suffering an injury that kept him out for the rest of the season. Staton averaged 0.6 points and 0.4 rebounds per game. His best game of the season came against national runner-up UConn. He had 3 points and 2 rebounds in that game. Staton came in to spell injured starter Keba Keita. He played 8 total minutes against the Huskies.

Moving forward, BYU might think twice before adding a player like Staton. High four-star recruits like Staton typically come with a hefty price tag. Those dollars might be better spent on a proven transfer.

The transfer portal will be open for the next two weeks. BYU is expected to be active in the transfer portal, specifically looking for a starting center.