Heel Tough Blog: UNC Expressing Interest in Villanova Transfer

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The quest to add a big man to the roster for the 2026-27 season hit an extra gear late last week, when a Colorado judge granted eligibility to student-athletes who had graduated after the 2026 academic year came to a close. That ruling came in response to the NCAA adopting the 5 for 5 model, allowing student-athletes the ability to play 5 seasons of collegiate sports in a 5-year timeline. That ruling has since been clarified, granting eligibility to players that had already entered the transfer portal before this ruling was made official, as opposed to every player that had exhausted their college eligibility, which would’ve caused even more chaos than already exists in both college football and college basketball. 

The Tar Heels didn’t waste any time getting to work on the expanded transfer portal, contacting All-Summit League big Cameron Fens over the weekend, but they didn’t stop there. According to both Inside Carolina and TarHeel247, the UNC program, led by assistant Chuck Martin, has made contact with Villanova transfer Duke Brennan. 

Brennan is 6-10 and is well traveled, having played at Arizona State, Grand Canyon, and most recently Villanova. Last year for the Wildcats, Brennan averaged a double-double, posting 12.4 points and 10.3 rebounds, while shooting 66% from the field. He earned the nickname “Mr. Double-Double”, for his ability to post double-doubles, where he set the Villanova single-season record last year. In his final year at Grand Canyon, he averaged 10.4 points and 9.2 rebounds, while shooting 65% from the field. In 2024-25, he led the WAC in offensive rebounding with 102, and last year he led the Big East in offensive rebounding at 132. 

Per Inside Carolina, Brennan has received interest from a number of schools, including Georgetown, Oklahoma, Oregon, Ole Miss, UConn, UCLA, USC, and a possible return to Villanova. 

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