The Band-Aid was ripped off, and the Oklahoma Sooners inevitably suffered their first Transfer Portal loss of this cycle that just officially started on Tuesday.
According to multiple reports on Monday evening, redshirt senior guard Jeff Nwankwo will transfer from OU in a move that was no surprise after Nwankwo did not travel with the Sooners to Las Vegas to compete in the College Basketball Crown last week.
Jeff Nwankwo transferring after never reaching potential with Oklahoma
God’s timing 🙏🏾 https://t.co/DMhsf4R5Ot
— jeff nwankwo (@NwankwoJeff) April 6, 2026
Nwankwo, listed 6-foot-6, never really got a chance in Norman despite breakout potential. He got to OU in 2024 as a National Junior College Athletic Association Division-I First-Team All-American after two extremely productive seasons at Cowley College. His college journey actually started as a football player at Tulane, where he didn't see any action in one season before heading to Cowley College to play basketball.
As an Oklahoma City native who attended Putnam City North High School, Nwankwo returned to his home state to play at OU. He tore his Achilles his first summer in Norman, though, so was sidelined his entire first season.
This season, Nwankwo appeared in 24 games and averaged 11.4 minutes in those outings. His season-high was 11 points against Marquette on Nov. 28 for one of just two instances he scored double figures. Nwankwo got over 20 minutes of playing time in the Sooners' first three games, but his time continued to decline as the season progressed.
There's still no guarantee that Nwankwo will get another opportunity. Listed as a redshirt senior on OU's roster, Nwankwo will petition the NCAA for another year of eligibility because of his time in junior college and that season he missed because of injury. He could also use that season of football as an excuse, but OU fans have already seen with linebacker Owen Heinecke how things go when an athlete starts their career in a different sport.
If he does get another season, Nwankwo will certainly get a better opportunity elsewhere, but he will also be an easy replacement for the Sooners, especially now with more resources and a general manager in charge.