DJ Wagner entered the transfer portal on Monday following one season at Kentucky. The loss of Wagner is the latest exodus from Kentucky following John Calipari’s departure from the program.
Calipari, the head coach who recruited Wagner to Kentucky, left last week to become head coach at Arkansas. The legendary Calipari recruited Wagner, a five-star guard from Camden High School (Camden, New Jersey).
He was the sixth-ranked recruit in the nation in the class of 2023 per Rivals.
Wagner was a McDonald’s All-American in high school. He averaged 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per game last year as a freshman at Kentucky.
There is certainly speculation that Wagner could join Calipari at Arkansas, a natural fit it would seem for both parties.
A 6-foot-4 combo guard, Wagner is a good distributor of the ball and an effective shooter. He shot 40.5 percent from the floor as a freshman.
BREAKING: Kentucky freshman DJ Wagner, a former five-star and McDonald’s All American, will enter the transfer portal, a source tells @247SportsPortal.
Wagner will be completely open upon hitting the transfer market. || Story: https://t.co/KVlv70VNqy pic.twitter.com/csmiV0RhZw
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 15, 2024
As for Rutgers, it is doubtful there would be much interest. With a five-star guard coming in and Rutgers boasting a deep backcourt that includes Jeremiah Williams and Eastern Michigan transfer Tyson Acuff (21.7 points per game last year, which ranks eighth in the nation).
Dylan Harper, a five-star guard fresh off being Co-MVP of the McDonald’s All-American Game, is expected to start for Rutgers this season.
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And there is also Jamichael Davis, who flashed plenty of times as a true freshman, scoring 5.6 points per game in 31 appearances.
Wagner was not offered by Rutgers coming out of high school.