Former Alabama star Rylan Griffen returning to SEC basketball

Rylan Griffen is a former Alabama star who is leaving the Big 12 and returning to SEC basketball via the transfer portal.

A Texas native, Griffen began his college basketball journey under Nate Oats. He was an impact performer for the Crimson Tide squad that advanced to the 2024 Final Four, but Griffen would transfer to Kansas after that performance.

Unfortunately, Griffen took a step back on a Jayhawks team that severely underwhelmed during the 2024-25 season. Now, he’s returning to the SEC with a commitment to Texas A&M to play for new head coach Bucky McMillan, per Joe Tipton with On3 Sports.

Listed at 6-foot-6, Griffen’s best season came in 2023-24 at Alabama when he averaged 11.2 points (the 4th-leading scorer for the team) and was a massive weapon from 3-point range. He finished that season shooting 39% from deep and averaging over 2 made 3-pointers per game.

While at Kansas, Griffen shot just 33.6% from deep and averaged 6.3 points per game. It was a drastic step back for the former top-60 recruit in the 2022 recruiting class, but it did not diminish his prospects in the transfer portal. 247 Sports gave Griffen a 4-star transfer rating as one of the top small forwards available.

The move of Griffen also sheds some light on Friday’s news involving Duke Miles. According to a Friday afternoon report, Miles requested to be released from his NLI with the Aggies after originally transferring him from Oklahoma.

Now, Griffen adds a key body with top potential to Bucky McMillan’s squad.

Paul Harvey

Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.