The BYU Cougars ended the 2025-26 college basketball season disappointingly. Entering March Madness as a No. 6 seed, they suffered a first-round loss to the No. 11 Texas Longhorns. The Cougars had even opened as the game's 2.5-point favorites according to DraftKings.
Following the upset loss, Kevin Young and his staff have put a heavy emphasis on the transfer portal. So far, they have brought in three commitments compared to eight departures. Despite the deficit, BYU's transfer class currently ranks third in the Big 12 and 11th in the nation.
They may not be done either. On Friday, On3's senior national recruiting analyst, Jamie Shaw, reported that the Cougars are one team to watch for former Georgetown Hoyas center Julius Halaifonua.
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"While a lot of his Portal process has been quiet, one school that has been mentioned to me is BYU," Shaw wrote. "Continue to watch if any visits get out or if any other schools emerge."
Halaifonua is coming off his most productive season with the Hoyas. He appeared in 32 games and made 28 starts while averaging 9.5 points (career-high), 4.4 rebounds (career-high) and 1.3 assists (career-high). He also shot 60.8% from the field and 27.3% from the three-point line.
With two more years, the big man is now searching for a new home. On3 Industry Rankings list him as a four-star recruit, the No. 10 center and the No. 67 player to hit the transfer portal in this year's cycle.
If the Cougars land him, Halaifonua would be the program's first center added via the portal this offseason. He would be joining a talented list of BYU commits, including forward Jake Wahlin (Clemson Tigers), forward Tyler Betsey (Syracuse Orange) and guard Collin Chandler (Kentucky Wildcats).
