3 potential landing spots for San Diego State's Miles Byrd in the transfer portal

The news Brian Dutcher and the San Diego State Aztecs feared came true on Friday, with rising senior wing Miles Byrd announcing his intention to enter the transfer portal.

Byrd was the lone remaining member of SDSU's national championship runner-up squad in 2022-23, a season where he played just four games before redshirting.

The 6'7 wing played a reserve role in 2023-24 before blossoming into arguably the team's best player over the past two seasons. After flirting with the NBA heavily following a career year in 2024-25, Byrd opted to return to Montezuma Mesa for another year alongside sophomore big man Magoon Gwath. With Reese Waters returning from injury and other key role players back, the Aztecs had big expectations in 2025-26.

However, it was a disappointing year for SDSU, with Byrd dropping from 12.3 to 10.4 points per game, although he did improve his field goal percentage from 38.1% to 40.5%, and won the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award.

Now Byrd will look for a new home in his final season of eligibility. Will the native of Stockton, CA, opt to stay close to home, and could he end up playing at one of the biggest brand programs in the country?

Below is a look at three potential landing spots for the 6'7 defensive wing:

1. Kansas Jayhawks

After retirement rumors swirled over the last couple of weeks, Kansas head coach Bill Self confirmed on Wednesday that he is returning to the sideline to coach the Jayhawks in 2026-27. Now he has to get to work rebuilding a roster in Lawrence that will lose star freshman Darryn Peterson, as well as senior guards Tre White and Melvin Council.

Mar 22, 2026; San Diego, CA, USA; Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Byrd makes a ton of sense to fill the Tre White role for Kansas as a secondary creator, strong rebounder on the glass, and tough defender. The jump from the Mountain West to the Big 12 is steep, but there's little doubt Byrd can make the leap, and playing for a true Blue Blood will get plenty of NBA scouts paying attention in his final year of eligibility.

2. UCLA Bruins

Mick Cronin and Brian Dutcher share similarities stylistically on the sideline, with both producing tough, physical defensive teams that grind out opponents for 40 minutes.

Byrd would fit nicely in Cronin's system at UCLA and would have plenty of opportunities on a team that is losing leading scorers Tyler Bilodeau and Donovan Dent, who are both seniors.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCLA Bruins head coach Mick Cronin. | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

If rising senior Eric Dailey returns, the fit is a little less obvious for Byrd in LA, but should he opt to enter the portal, UCLA could go hard after Byrd to replace him in the starting lineup. If the senior wing wants to stay close to home, UCLA is a very obvious choice for multiple reasons.

3. Gonzaga Bulldogs

Gonzaga had a rotation full of seniors last year, with Adam Miller, Jalen Warley, and Tyon Grant-Foster all departing ahead of the team's move to the Pac-12, alongside San Diego State, in 2026-27.

While GU's biggest need is three-point shooting - with last year's 33.3% clip the worst in the Mark Few era - losing both Warley and Grant-Foster hurts the Zags defensively on the perimeter.

Mar 19, 2026; Portland, OR, USA; Gonzaga Bulldogs head coach Mark Few. | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Byrd would give Gonzaga a versatile wing defender who can guard 1-5, play the passing lanes, and block shots on the wing. Alongside senior Emmanuel Innocenti and rising sophomore Davis Fogle, Byrd would create a dynamic, lengthy set of wings to disrupt opponents all game long.

Gonzaga could also open up Byrd offensively, with a more free-flowing offense that runs through the bigs and often results in wide-open shots from three or at the rim in transition. Players almost always improve their field goal percentage when joining the Zags, and that could help Byrd showcase that side of his game as well.

Whether Byrd wants to join the Pac-12 and face his old program at Viejas Arena remains to be seen, but Gonzaga is a logical fit for the 6'7 wing on paper.