After leaving Arkansas, former UK guard D.J. Wagner makes another portal choice
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- Former UK, Arkansas guard D.J. Wagner commits to Maryland from NCAA transfer portal.
- Wagner previously played one season for Kentucky and two seasons for Arkansas.
- Wagner has spent all three of his college seasons playing for John Calipari.
For the first time in his college basketball career, D.J. Wagner won’t have John Calipari as his head coach for the 2026-27 season.
On Saturday, Wagner committed to Maryland out of the NCAA transfer portal. 247Sports’ Travis Branham was the first to report Wagner’s commitment to the Terrapins.
Wagner, a 6-foot-4 junior guard, spent his freshman season at Kentucky and his sophomore and juniors campaigns at Arkansas. Ranked as the No. 6 overall recruit in the 2023 high school recruiting class by the 247Sports Composite, Wagner hasn’t lived up to that billing, yet, as a college player.
As a freshman with the Wildcats during the 2023-24 season, Wagner started 28 games and averaged 9.9 points and 3.3 assists per contest. Wagner struggled from 3-point range that season, converting on just 29.2% of his 3-point tries.
Wagner’s best college season, so far, came during his sophomore year with the Razorbacks. After transferring from UK to Arkansas ahead of the 2024-25 season, Wagner started all 36 games for Calipari’s first Arkansas squad. Wagner posted career-best averages that season with 11.2 points, 3.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals in 34.6 minutes per contest.
This past season as a junior, Wagner’s playing time and production slipped. He started just 19 times in 35 appearances for the Hogs while posting career-low averages with 7.4 points, 2.4 assists, 1.6 rebounds in 23.6 minutes per game. Wagner found an improved shooting touch from distance, though, knocking down 34.6% of his 3-pointers.
After only playing for Calipari in college, Wagner will spend his final college campaign suiting up for head coach Buzz Williams’ Maryland program.
Williams — who has previously coached at New Orleans, Marquette, Virginia Tech and Texas A&M — went 12-21 overall this past season with the Terrapins.
Wagner is one of three players that’s entered the transfer portal out of Arkansas this offseason. The Razorbacks have made two straight Sweet 16 appearances since Calipari became the head coach in April 2024.
Also transferring from Arkansas this offseason are freshman guard Karim Rtail and sophomore guard Karter Knox.
Rtail, a 22-year-old from Lebanon, redshirted the 2025-26 season.
Knox — who was previously signed to play at UK as a high school recruit when Calipari was Kentucky’s coach — was a regular starter for Arkansas over the past two seasons. Knox, who underwent season-ending surgery in February on his left meniscus, has committed to Louisville for the 2026-27 season.
