Arizona’s frontcourt plan took a sharp turn this offseason, and RJ Godfrey may end up being the piece that keeps it on track.
Tommy Lloyd and the Wildcats first spent their summer trying to convince Koa Peat to stay in Tucson for his sophomore season. Instead, Peat opted to remain in the 2026 NBA draft process, leaving Arizona to search for another forward to pair with returners Mo Krivas and Ivan Kharchenkov. That hunt led the Wildcats to Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey, a player who looks like a clean fit for Lloyd’s system.
The only catch is a major one: Godfrey is still fighting for a fifth year of eligibility. For now, the NCAA has a stay in place in his lawsuit, which has left him ineligible even though a Georgia court previously granted a temporary restraining order that made him and other plaintiffs eligible this season. His case is headed to appeal, and there remains a chance he could wind up in a Wildcat uniform after all.
“In my heart, I know that I’ll be in a Wildcat uniform this season,” Godfrey said Tuesday. “I’m confident in that.”
Godfrey spent four seasons at Clemson and is one of many players from the class of 2022 seeking a fifth year. The NCAA’s new rules this summer gave student-athletes five years to compete, but the association deliberately excluded that 2022 group, setting off lawsuits around the country. Godfrey became part of that fight in July and later described the experience of taking the stand.
“It felt like I was in a movie,” Godfrey continued. "I was like, oh man, like I hope I don’t say nothing wrong.
It was very surreal. It was kind of cool, too, at the same time, and I was like, man, I hope I’m never on this podium again, defending myself.
But it was cool. It was nice little experience.
But I’m definitely glad it’s over.”
Even with his game status unresolved, Godfrey has been around the team. He’s practiced with Arizona, traveled with the group to Lithuania, and watched all three of the team’s exhibition games there. That trip, he said, helped him connect with his new teammates and pushed him to speak up more from the sideline.
“It was actually awesome to sit back and just watch what our guys can do,” he said. “I think it was more of a team bonding trip for us.
We learned a lot about each other, about our team, and the history of Lithuania, and that’s something that I valued. And also, it challenged me to use my voice more.”
On the court, Godfrey brings exactly the kind of profile Arizona was looking for. He posted a career year at Clemson in 2025-26, averaging 12.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.5 assists while shooting 62.7% on twos and 66% from the line in 25.2 minutes per game. He’s a physical rebounder and a low-post scorer, traits that make him a strong complement to Krivas and Kharchenkov and deepen what is already a loaded front line for Lloyd.
That experience could matter even more for a Wildcats roster that has very few upperclassmen and only two returners with significant minutes in Krivas and Kharchenkov.
Godfrey is not expected to play at Arizona’s Red-Blue Scrimmage on Sat, Sep. 25, but there is still hope he will be available when the Wildcats open the season on Nov. 2 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas against the UCLA Bruins. Tipoff is set for 7:00 PM PT.
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