Jaxon Kohler’s next move appears close, and Michigan State fans probably won’t like the destination.
The former Spartan big man is reportedly down to Kentucky and BYU, with a decision expected Thursday. That leaves one of the most familiar faces from Michigan State’s recent run heading toward another college stop after a whirlwind offseason that has already taken him through the draft process, the Utah Jazz’s Summer League team, and a search for another year of eligibility.
Kohler’s path to this point has been anything but ordinary. After Michigan State’s Sweet 16 loss to UConn, he went through the draft process, went undrafted, and then signed with Utah for Summer League.
He played well there alongside Darryn Peterson before his name surfaced in an injunction filed in the state of California as he reportedly pursued a fifth year of college eligibility. Once a Colorado judge ruled that all 2022 class seniors who just graduated can return to college for one final season, Kohler showed immediate interest and even said a return to MSU was possible.
That possibility didn’t last long. Tom Izzo made it clear he had already built his roster with the expectation that he would not be adding anyone else for 2026-27. He said the roster was set and that, while he would love to have Kohler back, there simply wasn’t room.
So Kohler looked elsewhere, first landing on a top four of Kansas, BYU, Kentucky, and Louisville before trimming it down to two. According to @JackPilgrimKSR, the Michigan State transfer is now choosing between Kentucky and BYU, and a decision is expected today.
For Spartan fans, the hard part is that Kohler’s next uniform is going to be a shade of blue that isn’t green. The best guess before he makes it official is BYU, largely because of its proximity to home, though Kentucky remains very much in the mix. The Wildcats could use him to fill roster holes, and he could help Mark Pope push Kentucky back to the top of the SEC.
What won’t happen, though, is a return to East Lansing.
Kohler’s Michigan State story is worth remembering because it didn’t start with instant stardom. When he signed with the Spartans, he carried the “Baby Jokic” label and even drew attention from LeBron James during his recruitment, but his early years were more about patience than production.
As a freshman, he averaged 3.0 points and 2.9 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game. As a sophomore, after missing the start of the season with a foot injury, he played 21 games and posted 2.0 points and 2.0 rebounds in 9.2 minutes a night.
The breakout came as a junior. Kohler had attempted just five threes through his first two seasons and hadn’t made one, while also going 4-for-15 at the foul line.
Then he changed the profile of his game. He hit 19 of 51 threes, shot 82.1% from the line, and finished with career highs of 7.8 points and 7.5 rebounds as Michigan State won the Big Ten.
He took another step as a senior. Kohler knocked down 58 threes, seven more than the number of attempts he had the year before, and shot 86.9% from the stripe while averaging 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds. He became the team’s most steady presence behind Jeremy Fears Jr. and helped Michigan State reach another 25-win season.
Kohler also earned a reputation as a vocal leader and the kind of player Izzo loves to build around. He fit the “OKG” mold, and he played the way Izzo wants his big men to play.
However this decision lands, one thing is already clear: Kohler’s run in East Lansing won’t be forgotten anytime soon.
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The visit is set for Sept. 4, right in the middle of Grind Week, a stretch that should give Kelly a close look at how the Spartans operate and what Izzos staff values in a young wing. Michigan State has not offered yet, but this kind of visit often serves as the first real test of whether a target can turn interest into a full recruiting push. [Read more 🡒]