Former Kentucky guard DJ Wagner plans to transfer

After three seasons playing under John Calipari across two different schools, Arkansas’ DJ Wagner is looking for a new home.

According to On3’s Joe Tipton, Wagner plans to enter his name into the transfer portal once the window officially opens on Tuesday. A rising senior, the 6-foot-3 guard will have one year of eligibility remaining at his next stop. On3 ranks Wagner as the 56th-best overall player and the 15th-best point guard expected to enter the portal.

Wagner is coming off a junior campaign in 2025-26 that saw him average 7.4 points, 2.4 assists, and 1.6 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per outing. He appeared in 35 games (19 starts) for the Razorbacks, shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from deep — both career-highs.

NEWS: Arkansas guard DJ Wagner plans to enter the @TransferPortal, source told @On3. https://t.co/PapfBNnVQx https://t.co/HOzj1DmH7n pic.twitter.com/ovZ3OHTTe6

— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 6, 2026

The Big Blue Nation will remember Wagner well from his lone season in Lexington. A former five-star recruit out of Camden (NJ), it was no shock to see him choose Kentucky. His father, Dajuan Wagner, played for Calipari when the two were at Memphis. Louisville (where DJ’s grandfather, Milt, was a star player) was UK’s top competition for Wagner, but he ultimately landed with the Wildcats.

Playing alongside the likes of Antonio Reeves, Reed Sheppard, and Rob Dillingham in Kentucky’s loaded backcourt as a freshman in 2023-24, Wagner averaged 9.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 1.9 rebounds per outing for the ‘Cats as a rookie. He followed Calipari to Arkansas for his sophomore season, posting career-highs in points (11.2), assists (3.6), rebounds (2.7), steals (1.0), and minutes (34.5) per game, helping lead the Hogs to a Sweet 16.

His junior season with Arkansas did not see as much individual success, though, primarily due to the immediate impact of star freshman guard Darius Acuff, a projected first-round pick in this summer’s NBA Draft. Wagner’s shooting numbers improved, but his counting stats suffered as Acuff controlled the offense.

Instead of running it back with Calipari one more time, Wagner is looking for a fresh start with 100 college basketball games already under his belt.

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