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Arizona basketball has filled its long-standing need at power forward by signing former Clemson standout RJ Godfrey through the NCAA transfer portal, giving head coach Tommy Lloyd an experienced frontcourt option for the 2026-27 season.
Godfrey’s arrival comes after a federal judge in Colorado ruled that athletes from the 2022 high school graduating class, including Godfrey, are eligible for a fifth collegiate season. The NCAA has announced plans to appeal the decision.
The 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward is coming off the best season of his college career after returning to the Tigers for the 2025-26 campaign. He led Clemson with 12.0 points per game while averaging 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Godfrey also recorded a career-best 61% field-goal percentage and helped the Tigers return to the NCAA Tournament.
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Before that season, Godfrey spent the 2024-25 campaign at Georgia, where he started all 33 games and averaged 6.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assist per contest. He began his collegiate career at Clemson, appearing in 69 games across his first two seasons before transferring. Across both tenures with the Tigers, he played 104 games, made 33 starts, averaged 7.2 points and 3.6 rebounds, and shot 60% from the field.
Godfrey’s path back to college followed months of uncertainty surrounding his eligibility. On July 9, he joined a lawsuit with 15 other Division I players challenging the NCAA’s eligibility rules. The group argued that the NCAA unfairly prevented athletes who exhausted four seasons before the organization’s new eligibility model from receiving an additional year, limiting scholarship, revenue-sharing and NIL opportunities. Oklahoma, Arkansas and LSU were among the programs reported to have interest in Godfrey if he became eligible.
Before deciding to return to college, Godfrey worked out for the Golden State Warriors ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft but went undrafted and did not sign an NBA contract.
The Wildcats pursuit of a starting power forward lasted throughout the offseason after missing on several recruiting and transfer targets. With Godfrey now on the roster, he is expected to move directly into Arizona’s starting lineup.
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