The West Virginia Mountaineers have seen a hectic transfer portal period since the end of the season, both losing players to the portal and adding players from it. The toughest loss the team suffered? That was likely DJ Thomas.
Thomas was a true freshman last season, who initially committed to Ross Hodge at North Texas and then followed him once he accepted the West Virginia offer. Thomas ended up playing a significant role in what was mostly an 8-man rotation during the season, appearing in all 35 games for Mountaineers. He averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 16.7 minutes per contest.
WVU was hoping to retain Thomas, but he hit the transfer portal following the season. Now, he has found his new home, and unfortunately for Hodge and the Mountaineers, they will be seeing him again.
DJ Thomas transfers to TCU
It was announced on Monday that Thomas would be committing to the TCU Horned Frogs, a move which will keep him within the Big 12 and on the board as a potential league opponent for the Mountaineers.
NEWS: DJ Thomas will transfer to TCU, he tells @TheAthleticCBB
— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) April 27, 2026
He Averaged 6.6 points and 2.1 rebounds per game last season at West Virginia
He's a breakout candidate for next season. Love this for the Horned Frogs pic.twitter.com/EZ7GvwO9an
Now, the Mountaineers will need to contend Thomas in league play, and they know as well as anyone how deadly he can be. But on the flip side, they likely know better than anyone how to contain him. And hopefully, losing Thomas to the portal won't come back to haunt Ross Hodge and his team in league play next year.
But it's not necessarily surprising that Thomas would end up with the Horned Frogs. Thomas is originally from Allen, Texas, a suburb of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area – which is also where TCU is located. Thomas didn't have any looks from Power 5 programs out of high school, and when he signed with North Texas, it was right in his backyard.
It was a leap of faith for Thomas to follow Hodge to WVU, but he made the move and it worked out for the best. Now, he's a proven Power 5 commodity, with plenty of exprience in the Big 12. And if he originally was aiming to play collegiately closer to home and the price and playing time are both right at TCU, it's a smart move on his part.
Add us as a preferred source on Google