Former UConn forward Jaylin Stewart committed to SMU out of the transfer portal on Monday and said goodbye to the Huskies.

“UConn nation!! Appreciate all the memories it's been a fun ride, to all my coaches n brothers appreciate yall for holding me accountable n making sure im at my best." Stewart posted to his Instagram story.

"Always a husky at heart.”

Stewart entered the transfer portal on April 17, reportedly seeking to play a bigger role with his next team. He will be a senior.

The Mustangs, of the Atlantic Coast Conference, have received commitments from four transfers since the portal opened earlier this month.

In addition to Stewart, On3 reported SMU is adding power forward Nic Codie (from Texas), shooting guard David Terrell Jr. (North Texas) and point guard Rowan Brumbaugh (Tulane).

Entering the portal from head coach Andy Enfield’s team were center Samet Yigitoglu, power forwards Mitchell Holmes and Sam Walters, and small forward Chance Puryear. The 2025-26 roster also had five seniors.

Stewart should have chances to play a big role at the Dallas school. A Seattle native, Stewart also was linked to the possibility of transferring to Washington or in-state Gonzaga.

The Mustangs finished the regular season at (20-13, 8-10 ACC) but earned a No. 6 seed in the Midwest Region of the NCAA Tournament. They were defeated by No. 11 Miami (Ohio) in the opening game, 89-79.

The 6-foot-7 Stewart arrived at UConn as a four-star prospect in the Class of 2023 from Garfield High School in Seattle. 247Sports ranked him as the No. 10 forward and No. 56 overall player in the class.

And as a junior, Stewart missed eight games, including the first two of the NCAA Tournament, due to an ankle injury. But in the final four games, he gave UConn a spark off the bench, always hustling and making a statement on defense.

He finished the 2025-26 season with averages of 4.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists over 16.8 minutes per game. He started 12 of his 32 games and shot 34.5% from 3-point range.

The Huskies won the NCAA Tournament championship to end his freshman season. He appeared in 37 games with increasing playing time as the season went on and wound up averaging 2.5 points and 1.2 rebounds in 8.9 minutes per game.

In his sophomore season, he was one of just four UConn players to appear in all 35 games, starting 12 of them and scoring in double figures seven times. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game.

“The locker room is filled with great guys, just like J Stew and throughout the roster,” UConn head coach Dan Hurley said before the Huskies upset Duke, 73-72, to reach the Final Four.

“He's an easy guy to root for. He's a guy who … stayed at UConn when it would have been easier for him to leave. He's a real UConn man, and he's a sweetheart of a guy.

“He's funny. He's just a great guy. “

Stewart, 21, is one of five UConn who declared they will transfer. Centers Eric Reibe and Rrezon Elezaj, along with guards Jacob Furphy and Uron Paunovic, put their names in the portal.

Reibe has committed to Southern California, Furphy to Boston College.

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