Jackson State's leading scorer Daeshun Ruffin expected to hit the portal

Mark Pope has already brought in a former Jackson State high school commit and the program’s head coach for Kentucky’s 2026-27 roster. Could he go after the Tigers’ leading scorer next?

News broke on Monday from The Field of 68 that Daeshun Ruffin, the Southwest Athletic Conference’s 2025-26 Player of the Year, intends to enter the transfer portal once the window officially opens on April 7. Ruffin led the SWAC in scoring this past season by pouring in 23.3 points per game, in addition to his 5.3 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals.

A 5-foot-10 point guard, Ruffin shot 42.6 percent from the field, 30.9 percent from deep, and 84.3 percent from the free-throw line as a senior at Jackson State. The Mississippi native will need a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible at his next stop.

Ruffin’s decision to transfer comes on the heels of Jackson State head coach Mo Williams being hired as an assistant at Kentucky. Williams’ son, four-star point guard Mason Williams, who was previously pledged to Jackson State, committed to the Wildcats on Friday as a 2026 high school recruit.

NEWS: Jackson State’s Daeshun Ruffin, the SWAC POTY, will enter the transfer portal, he told @TheFieldOf68.

The point guard averaged 23.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg and 5.3 apg this season. Started career at Ole Miss in 2021-22. Will need a waiver to be eligible next season. pic.twitter.com/O7vR7uG0lM

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 30, 2026

A former McDonald’s All-American, Ruffin started his college career at Ole Miss, spending his first two seasons in the Southeastern Conference. He appeared in 25 total games for the Rebels during that span, 10 as a starter, averaging 12.6 points per game as a freshman and 9.5 points per game as a sophomore. Injuries hindered his time in Oxford, though. Ruffin suffered a broken hand in his collegiate debut before later returning during his freshman year, only to go down with a season-ending knee injury the same season.

After two years at Ole Miss, Ruffin transferred to Jackson State, redshirting the 2023-24 campaign due to another injury before returning to the floor in 2024-25. He averaged 15.7 points per game as a junior for the Tigers, making the All-SWAC Tournament Team, before breaking out as a top-end scoring guard this past season.

Despite having already been in college for five seasons and having played in four of them, multiple injuries throughout his career could see him granted a waiver to play in 2026-27. But that will be a big hurdle to jump through if he hopes to stay in the college ranks. We’ll have to wait and see if Pope thinks Ruffin is one worth going after.