Utah basketball should target this versatile forward in the transfer portal

As Utah head coach Alex Jensen alluded to in his final press conference of the season, conversations about the transfer portal and roster building begin well before the market officially opens in April. Locking up players already on the roster to new, and potentially team-friendly, contracts before they can test their value elsewhere is not only a goal for any front office in this era of college athletics, but also the reality general managers and agents alike have to be comfortable navigating.

Another truth about these business discussions: They're partly why reports about transfer portal entries arise right after a team's season as ended, as opposed to when the portal actually opens (in this year's case, April 7-21). That way, a player is essentially able to field offers and interest from suitors as one of the few commodities "available" on the market.

One of the earliest portal entrants in this year's cycle, Oakland forward Isaac Garrett, is someone the Runnin' Utes should target as they begin to put their plan for next season's roster in motion.

Isaac Garrett Announces Portal Plans

Garrett, a former Snow College and Pleasant Grove High School (Utah) standout, told Sam Kayser of League Ready that he will enter the transfer portal when it officially opens in April. The 6-foot-8 forward put up 13.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game for the Grizzlies this past season after spending two years with the Badgers in the junior college ranks.

Garrett received a couple of Division I offers from Lehigh and Utah Valley coming out of high school, though he decided to sign with Snow College as part of the team's 2023 recruiting class. He averaged 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds as a freshman, then improved to 14 points and 7 rebounds per contest the following year, garnering attention from mid-majors and power conference programs alike by the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Cal, Florida State, Hawaii, Oakland and Fresno State were among the schools interested in Garrett's services in 2025. He ultimately landed on Oakland, where he went on to appear and start in 28 games for legendary coach Greg Kampe.

NEWS: Oakland forward Isaac Garrett is entering the transfer portal, he told @LeagueRDY.

The 6-foot-8 forward out of Pleasant Grove, Utah spent his first two seasons at Snow College before playing this season at Oakland.

He averaged 13.7PPG, 7.1RPG, 2.3APG, 1.1SPG and 1.0BPG… pic.twitter.com/qIPVHQrz5A
— Sam Kayser (@KayserHoops) March 11, 2026

Why Garrett Would Fit Utah

It's no secret the Utes lacked a dominant post presence in 2025-26. A lot of Utah's offense revolved around guard play, and the numbers indicate as such.

According to KenPom, 53.9% of Utah's total scoring came from its backcourt. Conversely, it got 11.4% of its points from the power forward spot, which ranked No. 364 out of 365 Division I teams, and 18.1% from its centers (No. 199 nationally). Not to mention, the Utes had the third-worst rebounding margin in the Big 12.

Admittedly, pegging Garrett as some formidable post-scorer would be disingenuous. He does, however, have a solid frame to him at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds. He can put the ball on the deck to get the basket from the perimeter or back down his defender for a hook on the low block. Oakland's season opener against Michigan, in which Garrett finished with 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field, highlighted his ability to score in a variety of ways.

Garrett is also a capable rebounder. His 7.1 rebounds per game ranked No. 4 in the Horizon League, and he was top-six in the conference in both offensive and defensive rebounding rate according to KenPom. His block rate (4%) was No. 5 in the league, as he averaged a block and just over a steal for the Grizzlies.

Garrett had seven double-doubles this past season, including a 27-point, 14-rebound effort in a win over Youngstown State. That was also one of his five 20-point performances on the year, with his 30-point outing in a Jan. 4 contest against Robert Morris checking in as his season-high.

Translating that level of productivity at the high-major ranks would require Garrett adjusting to the physicality and athleticism of the Big 12. Given Garrett's gradual progression as a player, his ties to the area and Utah's need for frontcourt depth, it'd make sense for the Utes to at least check in on the Pleasant Grove native.

Remember, though, the Utes expect Babacar Faye to be back next season after missing 2025-26 with a leg injury. If that winds up being the case, the 6-foot-8 Senegal native will help fill the void created by James Okonkwo's impending graduation.

Bringing back Keanu Dawes, who finished near the top of the Big 12's leaderboards in rebounds, will be a priority for Jensen and company as well. Keeping Kendyl Sanders should be a priority too, though there will Utah has to plan for some departures given the volatile nature of the portal.

With Garrett entering what appears to be his final year of eligibility, Utah should gauge how interested he'd be in making a return close to home for his last season of college hoops.