Does SMU Basketball have a transfer portal plan?

SMU’s lack of activity in the transfer portal has sparked fan concern.

Samet Yiğitoğlu is transferring to Indiana, meaning that SMU will start the 2026-27 season without a single returning starter. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Headed into the transfer portal window, it was clear that the stakes were high for Coach Enfield and the SMU coaching staff. Boopie Miller is graduating, as are Jaron Pierre Jr, BJ Edwards and Corey Washington. The four seniors combined for 60.8 of SMU’s 84.1 points per game and 14.3 of the team’s 16.9 assists per game. 

Then, sophomore center Samet Yiğitoğlu's transferred to Indiana, meaning that SMU’s entire 2025-26 starting roster was gone. There are five days left in the portal window for players to enter, and many have already begun signing with new schools.

As of April 17, not a single transfer has chosen SMU. 

BREAKING: SMU transfer center Samet Yigitoglu has committed to Indiana, @DraftExpress reports 🔴⚪️https://t.co/NcSHRQ8pJO pic.twitter.com/8YQ1mMIEqK

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 14, 2026

In addition to Yiğitoğlu, four other Mustangs are weighing other options in the portal, albeit none as significant as the seven-footer. Mitchell Holmes, Sam Walters, BJ Davis-Ray and Chance Puryear all entered the transfer portal, taking a combined 150 points with them.

Given the number of graduates SMU had, the lineup has been reduced to a barebones squad. Jaden Toombs is the most significant returning, having become a focal point for SMU’s team in the second half of the year. Jermaine O’Neal Jr. (4.5 PPG) became the Mustangs’ sixth man following Edward’s injury, and may step into a greater role next season. 

Nigel Walls and Billy White III will return, but neither played significant minutes in their freshmen seasons. SMU will welcome freshman Cameron Lomax to the Hilltop in the fall. Lomax, a DFW native, led Frisco Heritage to a state championship and was named an all-area boys basketball player of the year.

Even still, SMU’s roster is severely depleted, with holes up and down the entire starting lineup. So who will the Mustangs target in the portal?

SMU’s most dire need is clearly at guard. Even if O’Neal progresses and Lomax is ready to go his freshman season, the Mustangs lack a true veteran leader like Miller or Edwards. 

The Mustangs have been connected to high-ranking transfers such as Duquesne junior Jimmie Williams and Utah star Terrence Brown, but little has amounted from it. Most top-rated guards have been taken, but Coach Enfield still has intriguing options. 

One name to look for is Rowan Brumbaugh. Grayson Singleton of the Locked On SMU podcast alluded to being a target of Coach Enfield’s for the point guard slot. Brumbaugh scored 19.2 points per game in his junior year with the Green Wave, also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 1.6 steals. Brumbaugh doesn’t rack up assists the way Miller or Edwards did, but his 6-foot-4-inch frame makes him a stronger physical threat. The junior shoots 36% from three and makes over 80% of his free throws.

Another interesting target could be an ACC opponent– freshman Omari Witherspoon out of Pitt. Though Witherspoon shot just 3-11 and scored eight points in Pitt’s loss to SMU on Feb. 7, he had some strong games in conference play and has experience starting in the ACC. 

SMU also needs size. Yiğitoğlu, for all of his defensive struggles, was SMU’s best option in the paint at seven-feet-two-inches and 270 pounds. Toombs matured some as a defender, and White and Walls added some weight as redshirts, but a true big man would be an optimal target.

The Mustangs are heavily pursuing Bangot Dak, a towering big from Colorado. Dak, a junior, scored 11.5 points per game for the Buffaloes and is the leading favorite to replace Yiğitoğlu. Dak, who is registered as a power forward but would likely slide to the five for SMU, is far more agile than Yiğitoğlu, and would add a much-needed level of athleticism in the front court. SMU is competing with many other schools, including the University of Miami, to get the junior. 

James Nnaji is an in-state option. The seven-footer made headlines after going from the NBA G League to Baylor, raising concerns about rules with eligibility. Nnaji ended up being a non-factor for the Bears, only averaging 1.4 points per game. At 21, Nnaji could still be a player Enfield and his staff try to develop.

Toombs can easily slot into the power forward or center position, leaving just the small forward position lacking. The portal has plenty of options there as well, including Juke Harris from Wake Forest or LeJuan Watts from Texas Tech. 

SMU is one of just five ACC teams to not sign a transfer player as of April 17th. 

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