Villanova Transfer Targets: Who the ‘Cats are Reaching Out To

Villanova Men’s Basketball needs to fill at least five spots on their roster ahead of the 2025-26 season with all five of their starters from this past season set to graduate and players like Nnanna Njoku and Kris Parker hitting the transfer portal. While the Wildcats’ head coaching search initially limited their ability to actively recruit the portal until the hiring of Kevin Willard, here’s a look at who Villanova has reached out to so far… and a look at the odds of whether or not they end up on the Main Line.

First on the list is Middle Tennessee gaurd Jlynn Counter, who mentioned Villanova as one of roughly a dozen schools targeting his services on Tuesday, April 8. Counter averaged 10.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game with the Blue Raiders in 2024-25 and put up similar numbers the previous season. A rising senior who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 195 pounds, Counter has a track record of success despite the jump in talent from Conference USA to the Big East.

The Wildcats have also reached out to Grand Canyon forward Duke Brennan, a 6-foot-10, 250 pound forward for a team that made the NCAA Tournament. Another rising senior, Brennan averaged close to a double-double this past season, putting up 10.4 points and 9.2 rebounds in an average of 26.6 minutes per game… the type of player who could fit the role that Enoch Boakye filled with Villanova.

After initially making his top ten, the Wildcats missed out on Delaware guard Izaiah Pasha, reportedly now choosing between Penn State and Texas Tech. They’re also in the running for a series of Willard’s former players at Maryland like Rodney Rice and Braden Pierce as well as Michigan State’s Tre Holloman, all of whom scheduled visits to Villanova.