As Utah basketball coach Alex Jensen and his staff strive to round out their squad's backcourt rotation for the 2025-26 season through the transfer portal, it appears former Rutgers guard Jeremiah Williams could be a name to watch for the Runnin' Utes.
According to 247Sports' Dushawn London, Utah is one of many schools that the 6-foot-4 Williams has heard from since entering the portal last month.
A former three-star recruit and product of Chicago-based Simeon Academy, Williams spent the first two seasons of his college career at Temple, where he averaged 8.5 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists while making 43 appearances for Aaron McKie's program. Williams transferred to Iowa State ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, though he didn't play any games with the Cyclones due to a left Achilles injury that sidelined him for the season.
Williams missed a chunk of games during his first season with the Scarlet Knights after pleading guilty to underage gambling in 2023. When he returned to action, Williams put up 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game.
Williams was less productive in his second season at Rutgers, averaging 7.0 points while attempting 5.9 field goals per game (down from 10.5 attempts in 2023-24). He scored in double-figures in eight contests, highlighted by a season-high 20 points against Texas A&M on Nov. 30. Williams also posted 11 points in a win over UCLA on Jan. 13.
The Utes have landed commitments from four players via the portal this spring, including 6-foot-6 forward Jahki Howard, 6-foot-4 guard Elijah "Choppa" Moore (Syracuse), 6-foot-8 forward James Okonkwo (Akron) and 6-foot-3 guard Terrence Brown (Fairleigh Dickinson). Utah also hosted Iowa transfer Seydou Traore on a visit to campus Wednesday.
A dozen players from Utah's 2024-25 squad entered the portal, including 6-foot-9 forward Ezra Ausar (12.5 ppg, committed to USC), 6-foot-8 wing Mike Sharavjamts (7.2 ppg, committed to South Carolina) and 6-foot-4 guard Miro Little (5.3 ppg, committed to UC Santa Barbara). Gabe Madsen is also departing via graduation, making the Utes' need for backcourt depth that much more apparent.
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