Villanova Transfers: Flaggs Enters Portal, Brennan Seeks Extra Season

Villanova wing Malcolm Flaggs entered the transfer portal on Friday, April 10 per a report from college basketball recruiting site Verbal Commits. Flaggs, a rising redshirt junior, is a former walk-on who appeared in one game for the Wildcats this past season, notching two minutes and one rebound in the Big 5 Classic against Penn.

Flaggs confirmed the news with a post to his Instagram account.

He began his college career at Arizona State during the 2022-23 season, but redshirt and medical redshirt seasons preserve two seasons of eligibility. Born in Tuba City, Ariz. on the Najavo Reservation, Flaggs grew up in the Phoenix suburbs and went to high school with Villanova forward Duke Brennan. The friends spent a season with the Sun Devils before transferring to Grand Canyon for two years, then arrived on the Main Line for the 2025-26 campaign.

Flaggs stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 200 pounds. He appeared in 11 games for Grand Canyon during the 2023-24 season and could transfer down to a smaller Division I school in pursuit of more playing time over the last two seasons of his college career.

Duke Brennan Tries for Year 5

While Brennan played 30 or more games in all four of his college seasons, exhausting his eligibility according to all standard metrics, he’s also entering the transfer portal. That’s because of an anticipated rule change that will give all college athletes five seasons of eligibility… and could potentially crack down on the amount of times a player can transfer.

It’ll take time to hash out the details, including who does and doesn’t get grandfathered in if the rule changes take place. Per an Instagram post from Brennan’s agency, the forward said he has “been informed that I potentially meet and satisfy the anticipated criteria for an additional season of eligibility, having participated in four consecutive seasons without utilizing a redshirt. Based on this anticipated guidance and directive from the NCAA, my legal team has advised me to enter the current transfer portal to make sure that my rights are preserved and protected regardless of how and when the NCAA passes this eligibility rule.” Per a report from Dylan Johnson of the Villanovan, Brennan wouldn’t rule out a return to the Wildcats if he does secure an extra season of eligibility: entering the transfer portal serves as a concrete step to argue that right.

Brennan was already expected to graduate, but Flaggs’ departure leaves Villanova with a tenth spot to fill on their roster ahead of next season.

Click here for more Villanova Men’s Basketball news with portal season in full swing.