The SMU Mustangs have landed one of the top players in the transfer portal in Jaron Pierre Jr., a combo guard who could step in immediately and provide a valuable scoring punch.
Former Jacksonville State Star Jaron Pierre Jr. Commits to SMU, Will Go Through NBA Draft Process
SMU secured the commitment of former Jacksonville State Gamecocks star guard Jaron Pierre Jr. on Monday, according to CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein, who shared the news in a post on X.
Pierre was unranked out of high school and began his career with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, where he proved himself to be a bonafide Division 1 player right away. During his freshman season, he averaged 8.8 points in 24.5 minutes while starting 16 of 24 games.
Sources: Jacksonville State transfer Jaron Pierre has committed to SMU.
Averaged 21.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 3.8 APG last season.
Pierre will also still go through the NBA Draft process.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) April 15, 2025
He stayed with the Golden Eagles for his sophomore season before transferring to join the Wichita State Shockers.
He spent one season with the Shockers, starting 22 of 31 games. He scored 10.6 points, grabbed 3.0 rebounds, and dished out 1.2 assists. Three-point shooting was a major flaw of his game, as he shot only 28.2% from deep.
Pierre decided to transfer once more for his senior season, this time to Jacksonville State, where he flourished.
The 6’5″, 188-pound shooting guard led Conference USA in scoring at 21.5 points while also leading the Gamecocks in assists (3.8) and grabbing a career-high 5.5 rebounds. His three-point shooting also saw an uptick, as he shot 38.2% from beyond the arc on 7.6 attempts.
Behind their transfer guard, Jacksonville State finished in second place in the conference standings and won a game in the NIT — Pierre scored 30 points — before falling in the second round.
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Following his breakout season, Pierre once again entered his name into the portal.
The Mustangs came calling, looking to add to an already talented roster that returns several key players to a team that went 24-11 in 2025.
The 23 wins prior to the postseason weren’t enough to secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament, but with Pierre providing a much-needed scoring punch, SMU has high hopes heading into the 2025-26 season.
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