UCLA’s roster is changing again, but the transfer who may matter most in 2026-27 is Jaylen Petty.
The Bruins are still trying to put together a Big Ten contender under Mick Cronin, and the last few seasons have shown they can hang around. Five years after that wild Final Four run, the roster from that team is long gone, but UCLA has still reached the second round in each of the last two NCAA Tournaments and went 24-12 last season.
Now the next wave is arriving, and it comes with some real turnover. Tyler Bilodeau is headed to the NBA, Donovan Dent has exhausted his eligibility, and the Bruins will have a different look once again.
Still, there is plenty coming back. Trent Perry returns in the backcourt, while Xavier Booker and Eric Dailey Jr. give UCLA a strong base up front.
The incoming class also adds some intriguing pieces. Top 75 prospect Joe Philon, a power forward from Florida, joins the mix along with 4-star guard Nikola Kusturica.
On the transfer side, UCLA has added Azavier Robinson, who should help as backcourt depth after his freshman season at Butler, and Sergej Macura, a forward from Mississippi State. Former Auburn freshman Filip Jovic could step into a starting role, too.
But Petty stands out as the one who could change the ceiling.
A 6-1 guard from Seattle, Petty is coming off a strong freshman year at Texas Tech, where he averaged 9.9 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 37% from 3-point range. He earned a bigger role as the season went on, moving into the starting lineup in late December and then delivering a career-high 24 points in the Red Raiders’ tournament win over Akron.
That’s the kind of profile UCLA is banking on: a talented, athletic combo guard who can score in a variety of ways. Petty showed enough as a freshman to suggest there’s more coming, and if he makes the expected sophomore jump, he could become one of the Bruins’ most dangerous options right away.
He also fits cleanly next to Perry, giving UCLA a backcourt pairing with real punch. With the returners, the newcomers, and the depth already on the roster, a possible starting five of Perry, Petty, Dailey, Jovic, and Booker is easy to imagine. Whether Cronin goes that direction or not, Petty is clearly set for a major role as UCLA tries to make noise in the Big Ten.
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