Oregon Ducks Lose Talented Transfer Portal Guard to Georgia Tech

Coach Dana Altman and the Oregon Ducks missed out on adding a transfer portal guard who could've improved their backcourt heading into the 2026-27 season.

Oregon head coach Dana Altman looks on as the Oregon Ducks host the Washington Huskies on March 7, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In what has been a busy offseason trying to improve Oregon's roster after its worst season under coach Dana Altman, the Ducks came up short in their pursuit of adding San Jose State guard Colby Garland.

The 6-foot-0 guard out of the transfer portal committed to Georgia Tech over Oregon on Tuesday. In his one season with the Spartans, Garland was San Jose State’s leading scorer, averaging 20.3 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds per game. 

Nov 3, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Jose State Spartans guard Colby Garland (0) shoots over Utah Utes guard Terrence Brown (2) during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

In addition to his one season with San Jose State, Garland also played a year each with the Drake Bulldogs (2023-24) and the Longwood Lancers (2024-25). After losing star guard Jackson Shelstad to the transfer portal this offseason, Oregon was hoping that Garland could be the next scoring threat to the Ducks’ backcourt. Instead, Garland looks to turn around a struggling Georgia Tech team in the ACC.

Colby Garland's Career With San Jose State

Nov 3, 2025; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; San Jose State Spartans guard Colby Garland (0) reacts to a play against the Utah Utes during the second half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

The Yellow Jackets had a record similar to the Ducks' last season, finishing at the bottom of their conference with an 11-20 overall record and going 2-16 in ACC play. 

During his time at San Jose State, Garland had experience playing against Big Ten opponents. In San Jose State’s 79-60 road loss to Michigan State last November, Garland led the Spartans in scoring with 22 points, three assists, and three rebounds, while shooting 10-of-16 from the field.  

After losing out on Garland, the Ducks remain with four portal commits in their 2026 transfer class, which is ranked No. 26 overall, per 247Sports. Three Big Ten teams currently rank ahead of the Ducks for the best transfer class this offseason: the Indiana Hoosiers (No. 3), Maryland Terrapins (No. 12), and UCLA Bruins (No. 13).

Oregon Ducks Transfer Portal Additions

March 8, 2026; Las Vegas, NV, USA; San Francisco Dons guard Tyrone Riley IV (5) dribbles the basketball against Oregon State Beavers center Noah Amenhauser (40) during the first half at Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The additions for Oregon in the transfer portal include two forwards and two guards: San Diego State’s Pharaoh Compton, Boise State's Andrew Meadow, San Francisco’s Tyrone Riley, and Kentucky's Jasper Johnson. Of the transfers that Oregon added, Riley and Meadow have the opportunity to make the biggest impact for the Ducks next season. 

This past season, Riley and Meadow both averaged over 12 points per game for their respective teams. Compton, in his two seasons with the Aztecs, averaged 7.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.3 assists.  

This offseason, the Ducks lost three other notable guards in addition to Shelstad, including Jamari Phillips, JJ Frakes, and Wei Lin.

How the addition of these transfer commits will impact Oregon’s basketball program next season remains to be seen. However, one thing is for certain: the Ducks must rebound after the disaster that was last season for Altman’s Oregon group. The question is, does Oregon have what it takes, or is this the beginning of the end of Atlman’s long tenure with Oregon?

Last season, the Ducks finished with a 12-20 overall record and went 5-15 in Big Ten play. While injuries played a major role in Oregon finishing with a losing record, their inconsistency showed, and Altman hopes the transfer commits he added this year will make a difference compared to last season's additions.

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