Ole Miss Basketball Battling Duke Blue Devils for Coveted USC Trojans Transfer

Chris Beard and the Ole Miss Rebels continue navigating a critical offseason in Oxford with the program reconstructing the 2025-26 roster.

With multiple newcomers in the mix to this point, Beard and Co. are remaining active in the NCAA Transfer portal with scholarships available.

Now, the program is in pursuit of USC Trojan guard Desmond Claude, according to a recent report from ESPN's Jeff Borzello.

Claude, who recently wrapped up his lone season under Eric Musselman in California, began his career with the Xavier Musketeers.

During the 2024-25 season with the Trojans, the 6-foot-6 guard averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds a night for USC.

Claude shot the three-ball at a 30.7 percent clip, which marked the best of his career to this point.

Prior to his time with USC, Claude averaged 16.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game during the 2023-24 season with Xavier.

He's been a productive player throughout his collegiate career while emerging as one of the top transfers available in the portal.

Now, the Ole Miss Rebels are in contention for his services alongside the Duke Blue Devils, Gonzaga Bulldogs and Virginia Cavaliers.

USC transfer Desmond Claude is hearing from Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, Ole Miss & Kentucky, sources told ESPN, with Duke reaching out over the weekend. In his next school, sources said, Claude is looking for a proven backcourt mate to share playmaking & a team built for a deep run.
— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) May 5, 2025

The reigning National Champion Florida Gators, Kentucky Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels recently took their names out of the mix for Claude, according to multiple reports.

The talented guard remains one of the top available players in the NCAA Transfer Portal with the Rebels set to battle it out for his services.

Claude is at the top of the Rebels' "Big Board" with the programs preparing for a rigorous recruiting battle.

Ole Miss recently added Kentucky Wildcats transfer Travis Perry to the program's Transfer Portal Class where he joins the likes of Corey Chest [LSU], Koren Johnson [Louisville], AJ Storr [Kansas] and Ilias Kamardine [International].

It's a talented portal haul to this point, but with scholarships available, Beard and Co. have their sights set on multiple impactful pieces remaining in the free agent market.

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