Jaxon Kohler’s next stop, if he gets the chance to play a fifth college season, appears to be trending away from East Lansing and toward the Big 12.
The Michigan State captain is in “heavy contact with BYU” and is “likely” to transfer there if his injunction for a fifth year is granted, according to a recent report from BYU Cougars wire. That lines up with the buzz that started after Justin Thind of 247Sports reported last week that Kohler had been named in an injunction alongside other players seeking an additional year of eligibility.
The timing made the whole thing even more interesting. Kohler was already in NBA Summer League and even matched up against former teammate Carson Cooper, but he was still apparently open to hearing from college programs that could put together a strong NIL package and bring him back for one more season if the injunction is approved.
Some Michigan State fans immediately wondered whether he could end up back in East Lansing, even if there wasn’t an obvious opening for him. The hope, at least in their minds, was that Tom Izzo would make room.
That now looks unlikely. The BYU report points to a move that makes plenty of sense on the surface: Kohler is from Utah, he was playing in the Summer League there, and he has reportedly been around the BYU program this offseason. A post from College Basketball Content on July 21, 2026, also said he had been spotted playing pickup with BYU.
For BYU, the fit is easy to see. A fifth-year big man with NCAA Tournament experience, captain status, and a resume that includes a Sweet 16 run and a 27-8 season in the Big Ten would be a major addition for a team chasing a Big 12 title. The report also noted that BYU has plenty of NIL money to work with, which only strengthens the case.
Kohler’s Michigan State chapter, though, is still the one that will define how Spartans fans remember him. He spent four years under Izzo, accepted his role, and never made noise about it. He brought a toughness that had been missing since Xavier Tillman patrolled the paint, improved year by year, and didn’t let a foot injury during his sophomore season derail him.
He never fully became the “Baby Jokic” label that followed him, but he did show flashes and took real steps forward as an all-around player as a senior. He’ll be missed in East Lansing, and there’s no doubt plenty of people there will be pulling for him.
If the fifth year becomes reality, the image is easy to picture: Michigan State and BYU meeting in the Elite Eight, with a Final Four spot on the line and Izzo trying to beat his former starting power forward. The selection committee loves their storylines.
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