Kansas State Center Ugonna Onyenso Set to Transfer to Virginia

After nabbing the commitment of German big-man Johann Grünloh on Monday, the Cavaliers further strengthened their frontcourt with the addition of Kansas State center Ugonna Onyenso. The 7'0 center is a massive addition for the Hoos frontcourt. Ryan Odom squads have placed an emphasis on rebounding in the past, a trend that seems will continue at Virginia. Matt Zenitz of 247Sports first reported the news of Onyenso's commitment.

Kansas State center transfer Ugonna Onyenso has signed with Virginia, @chris_hummer and I have learned for @cbssports/@247sports.

The 7-foot, 245-pound former top-35 overall recruit who began his career at Kentucky. Started 14 games for Kentucky during the 2023-24 season.… pic.twitter.com/bzu5eD7xK5
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) April 30, 2025

Onyenso was a top-35 commit out of high school, where he settled on Kentucky to be coached by Coach John Calipari.

Onyenso played 16 games his freshman year, averaging 2.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and one block per game while shooting 52.9% from the field.

Then, in his sophomore season, Onyenso took a leap as he saw action in 24 games while starting the last 14 games of the season. In the last 14 games, he averaged 3.8 points per game on 51.4% shooting while adding 5.4 rebounds and 3.1 blocks a game. In a game against Florida, Onyenso starred with 13 points, 16 rebounds, and a whopping eight blocks.

After it was announced that Calipari would be headed to Arkansas, Onyenso hit the transfer portal and committed to Kansas State as his second collegiate destination.

At Kansas State, Onyenso's numbers took a dip as he started only two games but played in 24. During the 2024-25 season, Onyenso averaged 2.8 points on 70% shooting, 2.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game.

After a 16-17 finish, Onyenso hit the transfer portal in search of a more competitive program, leading him to Virginia for his final collegiate year as Ryan Odom looks to build something special in Charlottesville.

Onyenso's size and physical capabilities give him the potential to be a menace on the defensive end, as he possesses a 7' 4 wingspan. On the offensive end, Onyenso has the ability to create second-chance possessions for the Hoos, a trend of Odom teams of the past. Last year at VCU, Odom's team finished 23rd in offensive rebounds per game, averaging 13.23 a game.

Onyenso is Virginia's seventh transfer, joining Toledo's Sam Lewis, North Dakota State's Jacari White, VCU's Martin Carrere, BYU's Dallin Hall, UC Irvine's Devin Tillis and Johann Grünloh. Alongside two incoming freshmen in Virginia natives, Chance Mallory and Silas Barksdale, Onyenso becomes the ninth-rostered player for the 2025-26 season.

Set to be either paired alongside Grünloh or to come off the bench, Onyenso raises the ceiling of this Virginia team if he can rediscover the form he had in his final games with Kentucky.

Despite the commitment of Onyenso, expect Odom to continue to pick up a few more commits to round out his roster, although if this week has shown anything, it's that Virginia's 2025-26 roster is near completion.

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