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PROVO — Former Davis High sharpshooter Jesse Wade is eyeing a transfer — again.
The BYU senior-to-be guard entered the NCAA's transfer portal Wednesday, a source with access to the portal confirmed to KSL.com after Verbal Commits first reported it.
Wade, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound junior from Kaysville, will be looking toward his second transfer as a graduate student for his final year of collegiate eligibility. The former No. 1-rated recruit in the state of Utah played 20 games as a freshman at Gonzaga, but returned from a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in France and later transferred to Provo to be closer to home.
His career never got off the ground, compared to his prep accolades, though. Wade sat out the 2018-19 season due to NCAA transfer rules, then struggled with a knee injury a year later. He rebounded to average 4.7 minutes in nine games as a junior, scoring 9 points with six assists, including a season-high 4 points in a loss to USC on Dec. 1, 2020.
Wade explained his decision Wednesday evening on Twitter.
"I had a great talk with Coach Pope today and I will be entering the transfer portal to explore possible options," he said. "There are multiple ways this can go and no doors are closed anywhere, including BYU. I just simply want to explore options and see what is out there.
"BYU fans have been so amazing and supportive to me and I am grateful for that. Gonzaga fans are still incredible to me. I am blessed with amazing fan bases and people around me that I look up to and admire. Thank you for all the support.
"Life doesn't always go the way that you plan, but that's what makes it fun. Thank you to everyone for your support. It's easier going through hard choices when you have great people around you...and I have been very blessed with amazing people around me!"
Life doesn't always go the way that you plan, but that's what makes it fun. Thank you to everyone for your support. It's easier going through hard choices when you have great people around you...and I have been very blessed with amazing people around me!
— Jesse Wade (@jessewade10) March 24, 2021
Players are not bound to leave by entering the transfer portal, but coaches are not bound to retain the players' scholarship, either.
Wade was previously recruited by Utah State, San Francisco and UC Riverside prior to enrolling at Gonzaga. He probably became best known this past season after he was stuck in an elevator for around 40 minutes during the Cougars' NCAA Tournament stay inside the Indianapolis "bubble" prior to their loss to UCLA in the first round.
"Never did we think we would have intros for COVID testing or Jesse getting stuck in an elevator and breaking the door open," BYU senior guard Alex Barcello said after the Cougars' rescued the sharpshooter from the elevator. "But my mind just goes to 'that's who we are.' We're trying to have fun with everything, and make the most of this situation."
