Mississippi State Faces Another Departure as Roster Reset Looms

Mississippi State is now bracing for its second departure to the transfer portal, and while this one doesn’t sting nearly as much as the first, it’s another reminder of what the next few weeks are going to look like.

Sophomore guard Dellquan Warren is reportedly planning to enter the portal when it officially opens April 7. The window runs through April 21, giving players a short stretch to make their move, though they can take as long as they want to actually commit somewhere.

NEW: Mississippi State guard Dellquan Warren plans to enter the NCAA transfer portal, his agent @Ryanmurphhoop tells @JoeTipton.https://t.co/IEWK52I9J7 pic.twitter.com/nQGVGOCjEE
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) March 25, 2026

The timing is new, but the trend is not. Players move. Rosters churn. Coaches adjust. That is the rhythm of modern college basketball.

Warren’s exit is not a program-shifting loss. He played in 19 games this season and averaged around seven minutes per outing. His numbers were modest at 1.2 points and 0.9 assists per game. As a freshman, he saw similar usage. He was a depth piece, not a rotation anchor.

But it is also fair to say he never really had a clean path to more minutes. Mississippi State’s backcourt was crowded all year with Josh Hubbard, Jayden Epps, Ja’Borri McGhee, Shawn Jones Jr. and King Grace all ahead of him.

That is a tough group to crack for any young guard. And even with some of those players moving on, the picture wasn’t guaranteed to clear up. Three of those guards are seniors, Hubbard could test the NBA waters and Grace ended the season in a medical boot.

There might have been opportunity, but it wasn’t a sure thing.

So, Warren will look for a fresh start, and that makes sense for him.

Mississippi State guard Dellquan Warren (1) defends a drive by Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (3) at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated Mississippi State 100-75. | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

For Mississippi State, it is another roster spot opening up at a time when the program is already dealing with the much bigger loss of Jamarion Davis-Fleming.

Losing a future centerpiece is one thing. Losing a depth guard is another. Both matter, but not in the same way.

The bigger issue is what this signals. Mississippi State finished 13-19, and seasons like that usually lead to a lot of roster turnover. Players want bigger roles. Coaches want different fits. Everyone wants a reset. The portal becomes the place where all of that happens.

And the truth is simple. Warren will not be the last Bulldog to test the waters. More decisions are coming. Some will be expected. Some might surprise people. That is the reality of a team trying to regroup after a disappointing year.

The challenge for Chris Jans and his staff is to make sure the departures don’t outweigh the additions.

Mississippi State has already lost a player it badly needed to keep in Davis-Fleming. Now the Bulldogs have to rebuild around Hubbard’s decision, the incoming class and whatever the portal brings back their way.

Warren leaving won’t define the offseason. It is just another piece of a larger puzzle Mississippi State has to solve. But it is also a reminder that the roster fans watched this season won’t look the same by the time November rolls around.