ICYMI: Georgetown Guard Jayden Epps Enters the Transfer Portal

The Portal is closed

Your Georgetown Hoyas basketball program finds itself at another crossroads as guard Jayden Epps has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. The news, first reported by On3’s Jamie Shaw, signals a significant potential departure for a player who head coach Ed Cooley reportedly viewed as their best player over the past two years.

Epps, a former four-star prospect who initially joined Illinois as part of their 2022 recruiting class (choosing them over Providence), transferred to Georgetown after a promising freshman season with the Fighting Illini where he averaged 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists in 31 games. The move to the Hoyas brought him closer to his Norfolk, VA roots. Over his two seasons in the nation’s capital, Epps showcased his scoring prowess. In his sophomore campaign (2023-24), he averaged an impressive 18.5 points per game, along with 2.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists across 29 games. This offensive output solidified his role as a primary contributor for the Hoyas.

While the 2024-25 season saw Epps start 22 of the 27 games he played, his production dipped slightly to 12.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. This season was also marked by a string of lower body injuries and illnesses. Despite these setbacks, Epps still demonstrated flashes of his scoring ability, including a 20-point effort against Villanova in a winning effort. His career-high in three-point percentage also reached 34.4 percent this past season. It’s undeniable that his capacity to put the ball in the basket remains a significant talent. When healthy, his defense looked much improved.

The transfer portal allows for the possibility of a return for any player, but it feels increasingly likely that this marks the end of Jayden Epps’ time donning the Blue and Gray.

Ostensibly, the parting of ways could be seen as Epps leaving for greener pastures or the Georgetown staff making a conscious decision to move in a different direction. Either way, Epps leaving can’t be looked at in isolation.

His departure brings into focus the envisioned backcourt pairing with Malik Mack (6’1”). While injuries and absences unfortunately limited the time Mack and the 6’2” Epps spent on the court together, some fans drew unwelcome parallels to prior ill-fated backcourt duos. Whatever happened, fans were ready to question their height on defense and their field goal percentage on offense. The hope for a dynamic, high-scoring backcourt ultimately did not fully materialize due to the limited shared floor time. Whether the staff has learned something larger about playing two smaller guards for over 35 minutes per game remains to be seen.

Looking ahead, the Hoyas and Ed Cooley have been actively working to reshape the roster through the transfer portal. Recent additions include:

• Deshawn Harris-Smith (6’5”)
• Isaiah Abraham (6’7”)
• KJ Lewis (6’4”)
• Langston Love (6’5”)

These additions, alongside returning players likely signal an effort to hopefully build a new identity for the Georgetown program—length.

However, one long body that won’t be joining the Hoyas is Duncan Powell. The 6’8, 235-pound power forward initially committed to Ed Cooley’s Hoyas on April 5th after entering the transfer portal for the third time. Powell, who was named the ACC’s top Sixth Man while at Georgia Tech in 2024-25, averaged 12.2 points and 5.4 rebounds during his redshirt junior season. He showcased his versatility, shooting 35.8 percent from three-point range and earning an ACC All-Tournament Second Team selection.

Recently, he decommitted from Georgetown. The Friars, who had previously missed out on Powell earlier in the transfer portal period, reached out immediately after his decommitment, and Providence head coach Kim English successfully sealed the deal.

The reason for Powell’s withdrawal from his Georgetown commitment is rumored to be due to academic/administrative issues in the transfer, though this is not confirmed by anything more than Twitter whispers. This is a blow for Georgetown, as Powell was expected to fill a major need in the frontcourt, adding a much-needed stretch forward to a roster. There’s still time for the staff to fill that hole, but the sun is getting low.

In a broader perspective, the departure of Jayden Epps marks a notable moment for the program. With Drew McKenna headed to Old Dominion and Drew Fielder transferring to Boise State, Epps was the last remaining holdout from the 2023-24 roster. Epps’ exit signifies a complete turnover from Cooley’s first squad, further emphasizing the ongoing rebuilding process. Be it NIL, a new role, staff relationships, trajectory, or more, fans may never know the factors leading to a transfer portal decision.

While this follows the nature of the NCAA today, Cooley’s emphasis on Georgetown’s youth over the past two seasons suggested there was a plan to retain and develop that has yet to materialize. Anyone putting faith in roster continuity as a plan should look around the league. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Now, the staff—down an assistant coach as Kenny Johnson left for Indiana—needs to prioritize building the best roster possible for next year.

For fans who can just observe, the focus now shifts to the new additions and the development of the remaining players as Georgetown aims to forge a new path forward in the competitive Big East Conference. Other teams are building momentum as the portal is now closed (with some administrative lag surely including some last-minute additions on Wednesday).

More specifically, the question for Ed Cooley is whether Thomas Sorber stays in the NBA Draft and what is the roster plan if that indeed happens.