The NCAA transfer portal period for 2026 is just about over.
The portal officially opened at midnight on April 7 following the championship game, and players had a 15-day window from then to enter the portal. Roughly 2,700 players did so, and the vast majority of them have found new college destinations at this point. Several still remain in the portal as they continue to figure out their plans for next season.
As expected, there was a flurry of activity with New England interest. Several Div. 1 schools in the region went deep into the portal, while dozens of New England products – including natives of the region and NEPSAC alums – were on the move.
Who were the most significant transfers from New England? Which schools were the most active? Let’s catch up with seven takeaways from this year’s transfer portal.
1. Alex Wilkins lands at Kentucky
The most sought after transfer from New England? It was easily Alex Wilkins, and it wasn’t much of a surprise. The 6-foot-5 guard and Mattapan, Mass. native was one of the best freshmen in the country, averaging 17.8 points per game and 4.7 assists per game as Furman’s starting point guard. Wilkins was named the Southern Conference Tournament MVP as he led the Paladins to the NCAA Tournament, where he impressed with 21 points and four assists in a competitive first-round loss to UConn. He also considered Kansas before choosing Mark Pope and the Wildcats.
It’s a remarkable accomplishment for Wilkins, whose rise we’ve covered plenty over the last few years. He didn’t hold a single Div. 1 scholarship offer entering his 2024 grassroots season before earning 25 offers that spring and summer with the Middlesex Magic, all from the mid and low-major level. Wilkins – our 2025 Class B Player of the Year after he led Brooks on an epic run to the championship – chose a path where he’d get immediate playing time at Furman, and it paid off in a big way. It’s another reminder and valuable lesson for high school recruits in the portal era, when finding opportunities for them is harder than it’s ever been: it’s OK if you don’t get a high-major spot right away. You can go to a lower level, play right away and reap the rewards by transferring up. For many, like Wilkins, that can be the most beneficial path – and most profitable in the NIL era.
2. Luke Soden finally gets his Div. 1 opportunity
I remember talking to former Phillips Exeter coach Jay Tilton around this time last year, and he expressed frustration about his struggles in getting Luke Soden placed. The 6-foot-4 guard from Bedford, N.H. was one of the best two-way players in Class A in 2024-25 and a key piece in Exeter’s run to the Class A final. He made our All-Class A second team, but there weren’t any D1 takers.
Fast forward a year and Soden earned his spot as he committed to Bucknell on April 2.
Soden went the Div. 2 route at Regis University in Colorado, led them in scoring and rebounding as a freshman and ranked 14th in the country in 3-point percentage at 42.6 percent. Credit to Soden for not pouting about not getting a Div. 1 scholarship initially, betting on himself, taking advantage of his opportunity and staying patient. He was rewarded. It’s another success story that should inspire other high school recruits in the portal era.
3. Top 2025 recruits changing jerseys
In 24/7 Sports’ final 2025 national rankings, there were 11 New England products who landed inside the top 115. Six of them are transferring after their freshman seasons.
Brewster Academy product Dwayne Aristode is going from Arizona to Oregon. Former New Hampton standouts Keyshuan Tillery (previously at Cincinnati) and Mason Blackwood (Penn State) are heading to Charlotte and St. Bonaventure, respectively. Jaylen Harrell (Boston, Mass.) transferred from Providence to Washington State, while fellow New England native Ryder Frost (Beverly, Mass.) is leaving Notre Dame for George Washington. Kelvin Odih (Providence, R.I.) is still in the portal after spending his freshman season at St. John’s.
The reasons vary. Several, like Tillery and Harrell, transferred after coaching changes, with Tillery following Wes Miller to Charlotte.
4. Which Div. 1 schools were most active in the portal?
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Boston College and Providence were the biggest movers in the transfer portal market. Both programs underwent head coaching changes and complete roster overhauls. Luke Murray and the Eagles saw 10 departures while signing nine players, and Bryan Hodgson and the Friars had six departures and seven new commitments.
Beyond them, portal activity was steady across the region. UConn brought in four transfers while seeing three depart. It was notable that two programs, Central Connecticut State and Yale, saw multiple outgoing transfers leave for high-major schools, while Bryant brought in a pair of players from higher level programs in South Florida and Georgia Tech. That’s representative of what we see throughout the country as high-major players find better fits at lower levels and mid and low major players find opportunities to level up.
5. Brandon Benjamin is a coup for BC
Of the nine transfers Murray is bringing in to his new program, I think former St. Thomas More standout Brandon Benjamin could be one of the best finds in this year’s market. I thought very highly of Benjamin as he helped the Chancellors reach the national prep championship final in 2025 with his energy, motor and interior production. He landed on our All-Class AAA second team and carried that over to his freshman season at Fairfield. Benjamin secured 16 double-doubles while averaging 14.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game, and he’s the nation’s top returning offensive rebounder at 4.3 boards per game.
6. Under-the-radar impact transfers
Who are some other New England products who should thrive in their new spots? I’m a big fan of former Rivers standout Amir Lindsey (Framingham, Mass.), who’s transferring from Albany to Fordham after landing on the All-America East first team while averaging 17.9 points and 4.9 assists per game.
Former Worcester Academy star Tre Norman (Boston, Mass.) was a Top 100 recruit but could never get consistent playing time in three seasons at Marquette. He’s heading across town to the University of Milwaukee and should be an impact contributor there. Two outgoing BC transfers, Nick Petronio (Needham, Mass) and Luka Toews, are getting fresh starts elsewhere at Delaware and Furman, respectively. Petronio, a former star at Milton Academy, never played in two years at BC after a torn ACL but was one of the best 3-point shooters coming out of the 2024 class. Toews should be an impact addition at Furman after Wilkins’ departure.
7. Who’s still available?
There are several recruits from the region who are still looking for their next destinations. Odih played sparingly as a freshman at St. John’s but was a Top 100 recruit coming out of high school. Dasonte Bowen (Boston, Mass.) averaged double digit scoring the last two years at St. Bonaventure and is seeking a graduate transfer opportunity. Will Davies (Saco, Maine), a former St. Thomas More standout, started every game for St. Anselm last season and is searching for a Div. 1 opportunity.
Moustapha Loum, an athletic 6-foot-10 forward who went to Putnam Science, spent his sophomore season at Northwestern State and remains in the portal. Rashad McCormick, a 6-foot-7 guard who prepped at Phillips Andover, is a JUCO transfer who had a massive sophomore season at Gillette College, where he averaged 21.0 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
