Former Kentucky guard DJ Wagner commits to Maryland

The first time in his collegiate career, DJ Wagner will not have John Calipari as his head coach. The former Wildcat turned Razorback will suit up for the Maryland Terrapins for his Senior season after putting his name into the transfer portal. He will now play for Texas A&M coach Buzz Williams.

BREAKING: Arkansas transfer guard DJ Wagner has committed to Maryland, @JoeTipton reports. https://t.co/qzt668bOLl pic.twitter.com/3Kp8r2dPKd

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 18, 2026

DJ Wagner started his career at Kentucky with the challenging expectations of being the next great Calipari point guard. It didn’t help matters that he was the son of Dajuan Wagner, another famous Calipari point guard who the Cleveland Cavaliers drafted with the 6th overall pick in the NBA draft back in 2002. A 5-star recruit out of high school, DJ had one-and-done aspirations from the very beginning.

Unfortunately, that superstar aura only came in spurts during his freshman year. Two other freshmen, Rob Dillingham and Reed Sheppard, outplayed Wagner, and it was they who found themselves sitting in the 2024 NBA Draft green room. Cal, always loyal to his guys, kept him in the starting lineup during his struggles, much to the frustration of Big Blue Nation, but it was that loyalty that led Wagner to follow him to Arkansas.

As a sophomore, DJ averaged 11.2 points per game, a slight bump up from his 9.9 points per game in a single season in Lexington. This year, however, Wagner’s production slipped. He lost his starting job, and with freshman sensation Darius Acuff dominating the Arkansas backcourt, Wagner scored just 7.4 points per game.

Now, after three years under Calipari, Wagner is hoping for a fresh start in Maryland. Most Kentucky fans would love to see Wagner break out into the star they hoped he would be, and are really hoping he blossoms out from underneath the Calipari umbrella.

Somewhere, Scott Van Pelt is smiling.