As a premier college basketball conference, the Big Ten is the new home for many big-name transfers, including Stefan Vaaks at Illinois, Aiden Sherrell at Indiana, and Moustapha Thiam at Michigan. But they're only three of the 81 transfer additions to the conference this offseason, per 247Sports. Some of the players who'll be difference-makers on teams aren't always the ones dominating the headlines right now. Here are five under-the-radar transfers primed to prove just that.
Trevan Leonhardt, Utah Valley to Nebraska
2025-2026 Stats: 11.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 6.0 apg, 2.1 spg
With Nebraska graduating its backcourt of Sam Hoiberg and Jamarques Lawrence this past season, the starting point guard spot is wide open for Utah Valley transfer Trevan Leonhardt. In the past two seasons with Leonhardt as the lead guard, the Wolverines went 50-18 overall and 29-5 in the WAC. What will translate best for him is his top-25 national ranking in both assists and steals per game last season.
Between Pryce Sandfort, Cale Jacobsen, and Braden Frager, Nebraska is also returning 34.5 ppg in guard scoring to play around Leonhardt. With two years of eligibility remaining under the NCAA's new 5-in-5 rules, Trevan Leonhardt is set to emerge as Nebraska's next fan-favorite guard.
Ty'Reek Coleman, Illinois State to Iowa
2025-2026 Stats: 10.0 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.8 apg
Being picked by Ben McCollum to replace Bennett Stirtz is truly a special honor. As a freshman who played 22.7 minutes/game at Illinois State, Coleman finished the 2025-2026 season with a 17-point performance against Auburn in the NIT semifinals.
Although his play was fairly inconsistent last season, Iowa is returning the 23rd-highest percentage of minutes in the country, according to Bart Torvik, to support Coleman. At worst, this season is just a stepping stone towards greater success with four years of eligibility remaining. Considering Ben McCollum's reputation with point guards, though, expect the 41.6% three-point shooting percentage to translate while a young Coleman rounds out the rest of his game.
Michael McNair, Boston University to Maryland
2025-2026 Stats: 16.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.1 apg
On 7.3 three-point attempts per game, Michael McNair shot 44.4% last season. A 6'5 guard who isn't afraid to rebound or pass, McNair has been overshadowed in Maryland's roster overhaul by bigger names like Baba Oladuton, Bishop Boswell, and DJ Wagner, even though he may be the most important connecting piece to the team.
As the best shooter by far on the team, McNair will find a role despite his defensive weaknesses. With 12 20-point games and 4 25-point games last season, any Big Ten opponent will need to be fearful of an explosive McNair night.
Jack Karasinski, Bellarmine to Northwestern
2025-2026 Stats: 21.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.2 apg
The top scorer in the Atlantic Sun and 12th highest in the country is coming to Northwestern. Jack Karasinski will be replacing Nick Martinelli this season, and there's good reason to believe he'll be a sufficient successor. Bellarmine didn't shy away from playing power conference opponents last season. In the team's three games at Georgia, at Notre Dame, and at Kentucky, Karasinski scored 23, 17, and 24 points, respectively.
Karasinski's extremely high usage and volume also came with impressive efficiency. He shot 41.5% from three on 5.7 attempts per game and had a true shooting percentage of 69.3%. Jack Karasinski will be the centerpiece of any success Northwestern has this season, quietly playing at an all-conference level.
Anton Bonke, Charlotte to Michigan State
2025-2026 Stats: 10.6 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
After missing on some other bigs in the portal, Tom Izzo landed on Anton Bonke from Charlotte. The first note on Bonke has to be that he is 7'2 with the physical frame to support it. Aside from that, Bonke shows up in every area of the game; he had five games with three assists last season, boasted 1.5 blocks per game, and didn't foul out in a single game.
Charlotte's only game against a power conference opponent last season was at Virginia Tech. In that game, Bonke was the second-leading scorer with 15 points, along with 10 rebounds and 2 blocks. Bonke will be the starting center for the Spartans next season over Ethan Taylor, and with his jack-of-all-trades skillset, he'll greatly elevate the ceiling of the team.
Breakouts hiding in plain sight
None of these five players will show up on preseason All-Big Ten teams. All arrive with something to prove, but whether it's the supporting cast or the role they are stepping into, they have everything needed to succeed at their new schools. When fans look back on transfer portal classes in March, the conversation won't just be about the biggest names from July; players like these five will be included as well.
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