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Rumors frequently linked former Utah State guard MJ Collins to Cincinnati for one final season under head coach Jerrod Calhoun.
Those odds seemed to dim until an Ohio preliminary injunction granted Collins an extra year of eligibility.
Now with Collins joining the program, the Bearcats have added a new, dynamic guard who averaged 17.5 points for the Aggies on a stellar 48.5% field goal rate that went along with 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists.
Collins ended the 2025 campaign with a nomination for All-Mountain West Second Team, alongside 630 points, 11th-best in Aggie history, making him a crucial pickup for Calhoun, who is finalizing a first-year roster rebuild by enlisting a whole squad of incoming transfers.
Speaking earlier this month about the addition of Collins, fellow former Utah State player Adlan Elamin praised the acquisition.
I mean, it seems like some exciting news, but I've definitely just been focused on who's here at the moment.
Just the team that we got right now, Elamin said.
247Sports ranks Cincinnatis transfer portal class as the nations 23rd-best class, that is reeling in eight 4-star transfers, the most in the country.
I mean, he was really good for us last year, he shot the ball really well.
So, I mean, I think it would be a good piece.
Collins lit up scoreboards for fun last season, notching 16 games with 20 or more points, including 40 points in a blowout win over Davidson.
Collins also disrupts opponents defensively, frequently anticipating plays before they happen.
That instinct led to performances like his five-steal game against Tulane last season.
Collins biggest worry is that he had already seen power-conference basketball and while there were moments of promise, he often left more to be desired in his two seasons at Virginia Tech and his one year at Vanderbilt.
However, no one can ignore his surging shooting percentages, as his jump from his second season at Tech with a 34.3% field goal rate went up over 14% when compared to last season, meaning it very well may be a case that Calhoun has been able to showcase Collins strengths and minimize his weaknesses.
If that is the case, then Cincinnati has just landed another key piece to factor in improving an offense that finished last season scoring just 73.1 points per game, which measured out to No.
221 in the nation.
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