Denzel Aberdeen seeking return to Florida after season at Kentucky, per report
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Denzel Aberdeen is looking to suit up in orange and blue again.
Aberdeen has committed to transfer to Florida, according to a report from college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. The standout guard has played 4 seasons of college basketball, but is seeking additional NCAA eligibility. He spent his first 3 seasons with the Gators before making the decision to transfer to Kentucky for the 2025-26 campaign.
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Sources: Kentucky transfer Denzel Aberdeen has committed to Florida.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 10, 2026
The 6-5 guard — who was an integral part of the Gators' run to the 2025 national title — averaged 13.5 PPG last season and will now be reunited with Todd Golden in Gainesville.
This season, Aberdeen posted the best numbers of his career. A 35-game starter, Aberdeen averaged 13.5 points, 3.4 assists and 2.5 rebounds per contest. He scored in double figures 27 times, including leading UK’s offensive effort in 8 contests.
Aberdeen is an Orlando, Florida native and Dr. Phillips product. He spent the first 3 seasons of his career playing at Florida under coach Todd Golden.
In 2022-23, Aberdeen logged just 41 minutes of playing time over 12 appearances. His minimal participation as a freshman is reported to be at the center of his case for a fifth season of NCAA eligibility.
Over the next 2 seasons at Florida, Aberdeen saw his role steadily increase. He played 312 minutes off the bench in the 2023-24 season. On the 2024-25 national championship, Aberdeen upped his participation to 773 minutes over 39 appearances (19.8 per game), including 5 starts. He averaged 7.7 points per game for the season, but 14.4 ppg in his 5 starts. He was a double-figure scorer in 10 games, including back-to-back outings of 20 points or more.
Aberdeen was expected to be part of Florida’s 2025-26 lineup following the departures of Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin. He surprised many when he instead opted to continue his career with the Wildcats. Now, we’ll see if he gets the opportunity to finish his career where it started at Florida.
Denzel Aberdeen won a national championship at Florida in 2025. Can he lead the Gators to another title? Predict next year’s champion at Kalshi!
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
