Saint Peter’s transfer point guard Jaylen Murray planning to visit Gators
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Gators men’s basketball coach Todd Golden and his staff are expected to host another official visitor from the transfer portal later this month. Former Saint Peter’s point guard Jaylen “JuJu” Murray plans to take a trip to Florida for May 29-31, per Andrew Slater.
Murray is the No. 20 point guard and 101st overall in the On3 transfer portal player rankings. He entered the portal on May 3 and has two years of eligibility remaining. Ole Miss is also reportedly hosting him for an official visit.
The 5-foot-11, 175-pound Murray averaged 12.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and. 2.3 assists as a sophomore this past season, scoring 20 or more points in three of his last five games. He also earned MAAC All-Rookie Team honors in 2021-22.
Gators among winners in 2023 portal cycle
The Gators have the No. 10 class in the On3 team transfer portal team rankings and boast one of the nation’s highest average player ratings (91.50).
Florida has signed a total of four transfers — Iona point guard Walter Clayton Jr., Marshall center Micah Handlogten, Yale power forward EJ Jarvis and Seton Hall forward Tyrese Samuel — to join four returning players, led by starters Riley Kugel and Will Richard, and 2023 signees Alex Condon and Thomas Haugh.
UF is one of only five schools with at least four commits in the top 175 of the On3 transfer portal player rankings, with the others being St. John’s (5), Arkansas (4), Georgia (4) and LSU (4). Clayton is the coaching staff’s highest-ranked transfer signee at No. 20 overall, followed by Handlogten (40th nationally), Jarvis (171st) and Samuel (172nd).
On3 national basketball recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw broke down the biggest winners and losers of the 2023 transfer portal cycle, including the Gators.
“Micah Handlogten was one of the most intriguing players to enter the portal during this cycle. The 7-foot-1 freshman was the Sun Belt Rookie of the Year after finishing top 20 overall in D1 in rebounds (9.8) and blocked shots (2.3). Walter Clayton, a Lake Wales, Florida native, earned the MAAC Player of the Year award. He brings toughness to the guard position but also shot 43.1 percent from three and 95.3 percent from the free throw line. Tyrese Samuel is a 6-foot-10 grad transfer who has experienced success at the high major level. EJ Jarvis is a 6-foot-8 power forward who shot 40.6 percent from three and blocked 1.5 shots last season.”
