Jailen Bedford Leaves UNLV, Transfers to Virginia Tech

Another former UNLV Runnin' Rebels men's basketball player has found a new home through the transfer portal. This time, it's Jailen Benford landing with the Virginia Tech Hokies. His new head coach made the announcement of Benford's commitment to the Hokies on Wednesday. 

“We’re thrilled to have Jailen join the Hokies,” said Young. ”His journey to this point has shaped him into a resilient and dynamic player. Jailen really came on strong toward the end of the season for UNLV. We believe his skillset and leadership will be invaluable to us this upcoming season.”​

Bedford was an important role player for the Rebels last season, coming over as a transfer from the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles. He is an 6'4 guard from Hutto, Texas. While he did make eight starts for UNLV, he mostly served as a key bench piece in the team's rotation. His production and on-court play improved throughout the season, as did his leadership off the court. Last year, he averaged 10.2 points per game and 4.3 rebounds per game. The guard entered the transfer portal after former Rebels head coach Kevin Kruger was let go following the season. 

He projects to play a similar role at Virginia Tech as an important rotational guard coming off the bench as the sixth man, but could also earn an opportunity to start for the Hokies alongside fellow transfer portal addition Izaiah Pasha, formerly of the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens. The ACC will be a step up in competition, so it will be interesting to see how this move plays out for Benford. It will be a sink-or-swim situation because his lack of elite athleticism could become more apparent, however, his improved skill and instincts could help him overcome that, which his new team is banking on. He joins  We hope he thrives on his new team after representing the Rebels well.