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SMU forward Mitchell Holmes entering NCAA Transfer Portal

On3 imageby: Billy Embody04/07/26BillyEmbody

After two years on the Hilltop, SMU forward Mitchell Holmes is entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, sources told On The Pony Express. He redshirted in 2024-25 then played in 26 games this past season.

Over those 26 games, the Fort Worth, Texas native averaged 5.3 minutes, 1.7 points and .9 rebounds. He went 19-of-27 from the field, good for 70.4 percent.

The 6-10, 230-pounder committed to former head coach Rob Lanier then stayed on as Andy Enfield arrived at SMU from USC. Holmes also held offers from the likes of Auburn, Stanford, Texas State and other programs. Holmes was a power forward at Link Year Prep in Branson, Missouri, which made the semifinals of the 2024 Chipotle Nationals Tournament.

It’ll be a busy offseason for Enfield as he has to replace the team’s entire starting back court.

SMU does have a young core recruited in the 2025 class that it plans to lean on for the long-term foundation of the program. Enfield said for that group to have the experience it did this year was critical.

“It’s a goal to be here every year to compete for a National Championship,” Enfield said after the loss in the First Four. “We had seven freshmen and six upperclassmen, and the goal was for the freshmen to come off the bench and improve, which they did, and then get some great game experience. And also learn by sitting on the bench when they’re not playing and watching the upperclassmen and being exposed to all these great environments that the ACC has to offer.

“When we go on the road, we’re playing some very historical great basketball programs with great players and great environments. So I think it was an awesome year for our young players to not only contribute to winning but also learn and watch, and hopefully they’ll take that and have a huge off-season and improve.”

Now, it’s on Enfield & Co. to add more pieces to return SMU to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA transfer portal will be open for 15 days this month. Thousands of athletes are expected to enter the portal during this stretch.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.