5 transfer portal guards to monitor for Utah basketball

It's hardly a secret the Utah men's basketball team is in need of backcourt depth before it looks ahead to the 2026-27 season.

With Terrence Brown entering the portal and testing the NBA draft waters, plus Don McHenry's impending departure as a fifth-year senior, the Runnin' Utes enter college basketball's free agency period without their starting guards from the 2025-26 season. As such, general manager Wes Wilcox and head coach Alex Jensen are likely to invest considerable resources into the position as the transfer portal continues to grow by the day.

As reports of Utah's involvement in the recruitment of some portal guards continue to come to light, here's a look at a five names to keep an eye on over the next few days.

Eli Rice

Previous school: Penn State
Dimensions: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds
2025-26 stats: 6.7 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.2 apg; shot 38.5% from the field, 39% from 3 and 77.3% from the free-throw line in 29 games (18 starts)
Experience: Three seasons
EvanMiya transfer rating: Three-star, No. 608-ranked available player

Eli Rice, a former three-star recruit out of IMG Academy, has reportedly heard from Utah and a couple of other Big 12 schools after spending the past three seasons in Big Ten country. The Tennessee native began his career at Nebraska, where he appeared in 17 games but had his freshman year cut short due to injury, before moving to State College, Pennsylvania, to play for the Nittany Lions in 2024. A season-long injury limited him to just one game in 2024-25.

In his first full season of college hoops, Rice played an important role as one of the top 3-point threats on Mike Rhoades' squad. Despite his minutes being somewhat sporadic, Rice, who knocked down 41 treys on 105 attempts, managed to score in double-figures in 13 games, with his season-high being a 20-point outburst against Ohio State.

Jalen Cox

Previous school: Colgate
Dimensions: 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
2025-26 stats: 17.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 5.3 apg, 1.7 spg; shot 52.1% from the field, 36.5% from 3 and 85% from the free-throw line in 31 games (31 starts)
Experience: Three seasons
EvanMiya transfer rating: Four-star, No. 109-ranked available player

Coming off a highly-productive junior season, Jalen Cox is reportedly receiving interest from some of the sport's most notable brands, with Indiana, Kentucky and UCLA at the top of his suitors list according to a report from League Ready. Utah is among the Power 5 schools to show interest as well, and given the Los Angeles native's pedigree, it makes sense why Jensen and company would at least reach out to his camp.

In addition to boasting a solid frame, Cox is a well-accomplished player (two-time all-conference and Patriot League all-defense team selection) and boasts plenty of experience at the Division I level (97 games played, including 76 starts). He's shown steady progression as a scorer throughout his career, going from 4.5 points per game as a freshman to 11.9 points per game as a sophomore, then 17.9 points per game as a junior, in addition to his budding abilities as a playmaker.

In need of a true floor general, Utah should pursue Cox heavily over the coming days and weeks.

Bryce Lindsay

Previous school: Villanova
Dimensions: 6-foot-3, 194 pounds
2025-26 stats: 12.3 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.1 apg; shot 38.3% from the field, 35.6% from 3 and 77.1% from the free-throw line in 33 games (31 starts)
Experience: Three seasons
EvanMiya transfer rating: Four-star, No. 218-ranked available player

According to League Ready, Bryce Lindsay "is hearing from" Utah and several other Power 5 schools, including some big-name brands like Louisville, Kentucky, St. John's, North Carolina and UCLA.

The 6-foot-3 Baltimore native's best attribute is his perimeter shooting. A career 37.7% 3-point shooter, Lindsay can knock down jumpers off the dribble or catch. He led the Wildcats with 78 made 3s on 219 attempts (35.6%), with six of those makes coming during his 25-point performance against Utah State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Lindsay's marksmanship and experience (72 career games, 44 starts) would serve Utah's future backcourt well. Based on the dynamic he had with Villanova freshman guard Acaden Lewis, Lindsay would be best suited playing alongside a true facilitator.

Jayden Reid

Previous school: Northwestern
Dimensions: 5-foot-10, 170 pounds
2025-26 stats: 10.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 5 apg; shot 39% from the field, 31.7% from 3 and 82% from the free-throw line in 34 games (28 starts)
Experience: Three seasons
EvanMiya transfer rating: Four-star, No. 123-ranked available player

Utah is reportedly one of the schools that has been in contact with Jayden Reid since his portal entry, and given the New York native's playmaking and experience, it wouldn't be a surprise if the Utes decided to seriously pursue him.

In addition to his knack for setting up his teammates, Reid, who's played 98 games since the start of his freshman season, can also uplift an offense with his scoring touch. He doesn't shy away from stiff competition either; his four biggest scoring outbursts from this past season came against NCAA Tournament teams, including his career-high 28-point explosion against Illinois back in January. Reid also had 25 points against Virginia, 20 against Michigan and 19 against Purdue.

Reid's size might draw concern from some Utah fans, though it wouldn't be much of an issue as long as he's surrounded by bigger wings.

Tyler Hendricks

Previous school: Utah Valley
Dimensions: 6-foot-6, 185 pounds
2025-26 stats: 11.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.9 apg; shot 49.2% from the field, 44.8% from 3 and 79.1% from the free-throw line in 28 games (28 starts)
Experience: Three seasons
EvanMiya transfer rating: Three-star, No. 399-ranked available player

Honestly, it wouldn't be surprising if the Utes attempt to recruit a couple of Tyler Hendricks' Utah Valley teammates while pursuing the 6-foot-6 guard from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Orem native Jackson Holcombe and Kaysville product Trevan Leonhardt are both intriguing players given their respective skillsets and ties to the Salt Lake City area, and both are likely to command interest from bigger schools outside the state.

For now, though, let's focus on Hendricks' potential fit at Utah. The soon-to-be senior was one of the top 3-point shooters in the Western Athletic Conference this past season, jumping from a 36.4% outside shooter in 2024-25 to a 44.8% marksman on 4.8 attempts per game. He was also active on the defensive end of the floor with 1.2 steals and just under a block (0.8) per game.

Given Utah's struggles on the defensive end of the floor, and the fact that the Utes are losing their only starting perimeter player who shot above 35% from 3 this past season, bringing someone of Hendricks' capabilities into the ranks wouldn't be a bad idea. It's not a guarantee his production would carry over against Big 12 competition, though he at least has some experience playing in the league from his two seasons at UCF.

Also: Hendricks is the younger brother of Memphis Grizzlies forward Taylor Hendricks, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2023 draft by the Utah Jazz.