USC Trojans transfer Desmond Claude (1) has been contacted by the Gonzaga Bulldogs since entering the portal. Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Gonzaga contacted USC transfer Desmond Claude in the portal

Originally posted on Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI
By Cole Forsman | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 5:35 PM ET

USC transfer Desmond Claude has been contacted by a handful of schools since entering the transfer portal just prior to Tuesday's midnight deadline.

According to 247Sports' Dushawn London, the 6-foot-4 guard has heard from Gonzaga, BYU, Ole Miss, Florida, Virginia and Indiana. Claude is also going through the NBA draft process after putting together a standout junior season with the Trojans.

A former four-star recruit who spent his first two seasons at Xavier before transferring to USC last spring, Claude took home honorable mention All-Big Ten honors after averaging 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds in 33 appearances, including 32 starts for Eric Musselman's squad in 2024-25. In Big Ten play, Claude ranked ninth in scoring (17.3 ppg) and eighth in assists (4.4 apg).

After scoring just under 12 points per game in November, Claude certainly turned things up a notch with several big-time scoring outputs in conference play, highlighted by a 31-point outburst against Illinois back in January. He scored 30 points against Rutgers on Feb. 23, then dropped 28 on the Scarlet Knights not even a month later in the conference tournament. Claude had one double-double on the season in a 25-point, 11-assist effort against Washington.

Transfer News: USC transfer Desmond Claude had heard from the following schools, sources tell @247SportsPortal

Averaged 15.8 points and 4.2 assists this season.

- BYU
- Ole Miss
- Florida
- UVA
- Gonzaga
- Indiana https://t.co/fjIGHV43YW pic.twitter.com/uGx177lp7V
— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) April 24, 2025

Mark Few and his staff have been linked to numerous guards in the portal over the last month, though they've yet to land their first portal commit of the spring cycle. Maryland transfer Rodney Rice considered the Zags heavily before opting to commit to USC instead, making the 6-foot-4 guard one of Musselman's biggest additions of the offseason so far.