Grading Georgia Tech's Transfer Portal Haul: How has Scott Cross Done So Far?

Head coach Scott Cross has gotten down to business and has constructed a competitive roster for next winter

Georgia Tech head coach Scott Cross has added another coach to his first staff | Georgia Tech Athletic

The Georgia Tech roster is beginning to come into focus with the transfer portal entry window officially closed. The Yellow Jackets have 11 of the 15 roster spots filled, and while there are a few left to add, we pretty much know what the roster will look like in 2026-2027. Let’s take a look at the job head coach Scott Cross has done in just a few short months with the Yellow Jackets, using recruiting and the transfer portal to his advantage. 

Transfer Portal 

Michigan State's Kur Teng, left, pressures San Jose State's Colby Garland during the second half on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Coach Cross has added five players from the portal so far: Jackson Fields, Tylis Jordan, Nasir Whitlock, Victor Valdes, and Colby Garland. Garland is the best add out of the portal with a 92 overall ranking and a four-star prospect, according to 247Sports. Garland averaged 20.3 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds with San Jose State. He shot a career-high from three-point range, nailing 37.2% of his three-point baskets. 

Whitlock is another high-volume scorer who comes over from Lehigh. Whitlock averaged 20.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. Like Garland, Whitlock is an efficient shooter from beyond the arc, nailing 43.3% of his shots from long range. He will provide a necessary scoring punch the Yellow Jackets will need next season.

Jordan is probably the most exciting on this list because he returns home, where it all started for him, and he has All-ACC potential. He didn’t play last season at Ole Miss, but he has a chance to carve out a role for the Yellow Jackets in the front court and be an elite two-way player they haven’t had in quite a long time. 

Valdes brings experience to the front court and is a guy who can score anywhere from the floor and create his own shot. He averaged 14.8 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds a season ago with Troy. The three-point shot is an area of concern, but Valdes will primarily operate from the mid range and in the paint, more than likely. 

Elite Recruiting Class 

Montverde s Kayden Allen (21) dunks the ball on a fast break against Whitehaven during a basketball game in the Winter Classic at the McDonald Insurance Arena on Friday, Feb. 09, 2024 in Bartlett, Tenn. | Stu Boyd II-The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Yellow Jackets also have a top 30 basketball class nationally despite losing head coach Damon Stoudamire. Head coach Scott Cross has done a magnificent job of building out the class and retaining some of the players. One of the biggest gets in the class was top 50 national recruit Kayden Allen, who was formerly committed to Cincinnati. Allen is a Georgia native playing his high school basketball at Grayson and being from the Atlanta area before stops at Monteverde Academy (FL) and Long Island Lutheran (NY). 

Coach Cross was also able to keep the commitment of Moustapha Diop, who is a top 100 recruit and won a 3SSB title with Game Elite last summer. Diop is a great rim protector and rim runner offensively. His size and athleticism will be huge for the Yellow Jackets in the front court. 

Kaiden Bailey was also kept in the initial 2026 recruiting class for Georgia Tech. All the way from California is where Bailey will come from California to play for the Yellow Jackets. He fits the need of a point guard for the Yellow Jackets, and can run the show offensively while also being able to distribute the basketball at a high level. He will be a high-performing guard in the Scott Cross offense. 

Haiden Harper was a late add to the 2026 cycle but decided to follow coach Cross to Georgia Tech after initially being committed to Troy. The point guard from Alabama is not ranked, but he can score the ball and shoot it well from the perimeter. 

Complete Roster 

Feb 28, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Kam Craft (12) shoots against the Florida State Seminoles in the second half at McCamish Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

- G Kam Craft 

- C Cole Kirouac 

- PG Haiden Harper

- G Kayden Allen

- C Moustapha Diop

-F Victor Valdes

- CG Nasir Whitlock

- F Jackson Fields

- PG Kaiden Bailey

- F Tylis Jordan

-PG Colby Garland 

Overall, head coach Scott Cross has done a great job of constructing this roster and building a team that, in the worst case, should be competitive in the ACC next season. The ceiling is still unknown, which is a good thing, but the Yellow Jackets can easily vie for a top-six seed in the ACC with just the talent they have acquired. We dropped our current grade for Cross and the job he has done so far in the portal and for the recruiting class. 

Current Grade: A-