USC transfer guard Desmond Claude commits to Washington

Former USC guard Desmond Claude has committed to Washington via the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Joe Tipton. Claude is the No. 29 overall player and No. 8 point guard in On3’s 2025 Transfer Portal Player Rankings.

Claude transferred to USC last offseason after playing two years at Xavier. In his lone campaign with the Trojans, Claude averaged 15.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game while shooting 48.2% from the field and 30.7% from beyond the arc.

Claude had his best performance of the season in USC’s 82-72 win over Illinois on Jan. 11. Illinois was ranked No. 13 in the country at the time. Yet, Claude erupted for a season-high 31 points on 12-20 shooting.

For his efforts, Claude was named an All-Big Ten Honorable Mention selection. Claude made 69 appearances at Xavier, including 35 starts. He averaged a career-high 16.6 points per game on 42.6% shooting during his sophomore season.

Desmond Claude played high school basketball at Putnam Science Academy (CT), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 83 overall player and No. 11 point guard in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Claude was the most coveted guards remaining in the transfer portal and had also drawn interest from Gonzaga, Duke, Virginia, Ole Miss, Duke, Florida and Kentucky. Claude is the seventh player Washington has added via the transfer portal this offseason. He is joined by several other standouts, including fellow former USC guard Wesley Yates and former Lipscomb forward Jacob Ognacevic.

In contrast, Washington lost seven players to the portal this offseason. Nonetheless, thanks to head coach Danny Sprinkle’s immense efforts, Washington is currently ranked No. 5 in On3’s 2025 Team Transfer Portal Rankings.

The 2024-25 season was head coach Danny Sprinkle’s first at the helm of the program. The Huskies finished the year with a 13-18 overall record and a 4-16 mark in conference play. They didn’t qualify for the Big Ten Tournament.

With players like Claude by his side, Sprinkles will look to change that next season. The Huskies will likely be one of the most talked-about Big Ten teams this offseason.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.