4 former Utah basketball players still available in transfer portal

At this stage of the college basketball offseason, most Division I rosters are either finalized or are a move away from being complete for the 2026-27 campaign.

A few last-minute NBA draft withdraws could shake things up going into June, but for the most part, the biggest transfer portal moves are in the rearview mirror. The early entry withdrawal deadline (May 27) could have a small domino effect, though it's hard to measure it's real significance at this point.

Not all transfers have found a new school for next season, however. A few former Utah players are still in the portal, as a matter of fact, 40 days after the portal initially opened following the National Championship game. There isn't a deadline for when players need to be committed to a new school.

Here's a look a the four former Utes available on the open market.

Former Utah Players Available in the Transfer Portal

Obomate Abbey (PG)

Former Utah Runnin' Utes guard Obomate Abbey. | Aaron Baker-Imagn Images

Obomate Abbey spent his one and only season with the Runnin' Utes as a backup point guard behind Terrence Brown. In that role, the defensive-minded Finnish guard averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 assists and 1.6 rebounds while shooting 28.3% from the field, 19.5% from 3 and 81% at the free-throw line in 15.3 minutes per contest.

Abbey joined Utah with international experience under his belt. He'd recently represented his home Finland during the 2025 U20 Eurobasket Tournament, where he averaged 13.4 points, 7 assists and 4.4 rebounds. He put up over 15 points a contest the year prior at the U18 Eurobasket Tournament.

Josh Hayes (F)

Former Utah Utes forward Josh Hayes (7). | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Josh Hayes served in a reserve role after starting the first 10 games of his brief Utah career. The 6-foot-9 forward who transferred in from Northwest Florida State (junior college) put up 2.8 points, 2 rebounds and 1 block while shooting 63.8% from the field and 60.7% at the charity stripe in 13.2 minutes per game.

The 2026-27 campaign will be Hayes' senior season. He played his freshman season (2023-24) at Appalachian State before moving to Northwest Florida State for the 2024-25 campaign.

Jahki Howard (F)

Former Utah Utes forward Jahki Howard (10). | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Rated as a four-star transfer, Jahki Howard was viewed as a big addition to Utah's roster going into the 2025-26 season. However, after showcasing elite athleticism during his freshman season at Auburn, the 6-foot-7 forward never carved out a significant role without the Utes before departing the program in January to attend to family matters.

In his six games with Utah, Howard averaged 1.3 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7 minutes per contest. The 2026-27 season will be his junior year.

Jacob Patrick (G)

Former Utah Runnin' Utes guard Jacob Patrick (6). | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Jacob Patrick was on pace for a solid debut season before injuries derailed his 2025-26 campaign. The 6-foot-6 sharpshooting guard from Germany averaged 7.2 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 46.5% from 3-point range. He scored a season-high 13 points and shot 3-of-6 from long range in Utah's loss to Cal in December.

Prior to Utah, Patrick played for professional German club MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of the Basketball Bundesliga. He was listed as a junior on Utah's 2025-26 roster, making him a senior for the 2026-27 campaign.

Former Utah Players Who've Found New Homes

Seven former Utes have found new homes out of the portal since it opened April 7. Of those, four are committed to power conference schools (two are staying in the Big 12) and the other three are headed to the mid-major level.

In totality, the seven departing players accounted for about 63.7% of Utah's scoring output during the 2025-26 season. Terrence Brown, who committed to North Carolina in late April, led the charge with 636 points across 32 games played (19.9 points per game).

Terrence Brown (G) — North Carolina
Alvin Jackson III (G) — Weber State
Elijah "Choppa" Moore (G) — McNeese
Keanu Dawes (F) — Kansas
Kendyl Sanders (F) — Mississippi State
Ibrahima Traore (F) — Morgan State
Seydou Traore (F) — West Virginia

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