SMU Basketball Adding Players via the Transfer Portal

The Mustangs are beginning to add more and more players through the transfer portal this offseason, with the latest coming from the state of Texas and from a prominent program in the Big East.

Texas Longhorns forward Nic Codie. Mandatory Credit: Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images | Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

It appears that the Mustangs have added four players via the transfer portal.

It looks like Texas Longhorns power forward Nic Codie will be moving to SMU this offseason. He is 6'8" tall and has two more seasons to play. Codie averaged 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds last season and made 49.4 percent of his shots from the field. He started the season as a starter, but for most of it, he came off the bench. But he had a breakout game against Gonzaga in the NCAA Tournament, scoring a season-high 12 points in just 26 minutes of play.

It looks like David Terrell Jr., a transfer guard from North Texas, will be playing at SMU next season. Last season, Terrell had a breakout season, averaging 13.5 points, 4.5 assists, and 1.7 steals at North Texas. In the previous two seasons, he averaged under 9 points per game at UTEP. However, he was named the 2024 CUSA Freshman of the Year for the Miners.

The junior is expected to have an immediate impact at SMU, as the roster will undergo a complete transformation next season due to losing key players from last season's roster.

As discussed earlier this week, SMU added Tulane's Rowan Brumbaugh via the transfer portal. He is ranked the No. 89 transfer in this portal cycle. He, along with Terrell and Codie, will help the Mustangs compete for an ACC title this upcoming season.

Just when some Mustang fans thought that SMU may be done adding players via the transfer portal, news broke of UConn's Jaylin Stewart transferring to SMU. He started in 12 games for the Huskies this past season and had 10 points in each game against Texas and Arizona.

Stewart's stepfather, Jamar Jones, said, "We fell in love with the coaches and he wants to play basketball and show the world his talents without restrictions. He also added, "UConn is an amazing school, and we will always love the fans and the program!" Now it's time to be a MUSTANG and battle in the ACC."

Here is a look at where SMU is currently ranked in the college basketball team transfer portal rankings.

On3 ranks SMU highly in its transfer portal rankings, while 247 Sports ranks the Mustangs questionably low.

Reasons why SMU has done so well in the transfer portal this spring.

Enfield has given the Hilltop instant credibility after ten years at USC and going into his third season as the Mustangs' head coach. A big selling point for portal targets is that he has a history of getting players into the NBA, like Evan Mobley and Onyeka Okongwu.

He isn't just selling "playing time." He's selling a proven system that gets guards and big men ready for the next level. Enfield and his staff are known for being able to get high-level talent late in the recruiting cycle, which is exactly what SMU needed after losing the majority of their top scorers from the previous season.

SMU's recruiting changed when it joined the ACC. SMU used to be a "stepping stone" school, but now it is a destination. The chance for players to play games on ESPN and against teams like Duke and North Carolina is a significant advantage in portal negotiations and convincing players to come to campus. SMU's boosters have been generous in other sports besides football. The basketball program has a lot of NIL money, which lets them go after the best "players" in the country.

SMU has been willing to "spend up" for talented players in the transfer portal because they need to replace almost 60 points per game. Certain teams this offseason had to deal with significant changes in their coaching staffs, which made their rosters change a lot. SMU, on the other hand, went into the spring with a clear plan and a stable staff and was ready to host and have on-campus visits with key players in the transfer portal.

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