Transfer Portal 7-Footers: Every 7-Foot Center Who Changed Schools for 2026-27
At least ten college basketball players listed at 7 feet or taller changed schools through the 2026 transfer portal and are on new rosters for 2026-27. The highest ranked was Moustapha Thiam, a 7’2″ center who left Cincinnati for Michigan and was rated the No. 13 transfer in the country by 247Sports. The tallest was Olivier Rioux, the 7’9″ center who moved from Florida to UC Irvine. This page lists every one we could confirm, with last season’s numbers.
Transfer portal 7-footers at a glance
| 7-foot transfers confirmed | 10 |
|---|---|
| Highest ranked | Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati to Michigan (247Sports No. 13 overall, No. 3 center) |
| Tallest | Olivier Rioux, 7’9″, Florida to UC Irvine |
| Best scoring line | Cameron Fens, 14.4 points a game at South Dakota |
| 2026 portal window | 7 to 21 April 2026 (15 days) |
| 2027 portal window | Opens the day after the national championship game |
| Last checked | 9 October 2026 |
Every 7-footer who transferred in 2026
Heights are as listed by the school or a major outlet. New schools are confirmed against 2026-27 rosters in our database.
| Player | Height | From | To | 2025-26 stats | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moustapha Thiam | 7’2″ | Cincinnati | Michigan | 12.8 pts, 7.1 reb | Senegal. All-Big 12 honorable mention. Two seasons left. |
| Mor Massamba Diop | 7’1″ | Arizona State | Gonzaga | 13.6 pts, 5.8 reb, 2.1 blk | Senegal. A freshman last season. Chose Gonzaga over St. John’s. |
| Anton Bonke | 7’2″ | Charlotte | Michigan State | 10.6 pts, 8.3 reb, 1.5 blk | Vanuatu. Named a top-two portal big man by 247Sports. |
| Samet Yigitoglu | 7’2″ | SMU | Indiana | 10.7 pts, 7.9 reb, 1.3 blk | Turkey. Shot 62.8% from the field. Two seasons left. |
| Cameron Fens | 7’0″ | South Dakota | North Carolina | 14.4 pts, 8.7 reb, 1.5 blk | Senior. |
| Julius Halaifonua | 7’0″ | Georgetown | Oklahoma State | 9.5 pts, 4.4 reb | New Zealand. Came through the NBA Global Academy. |
| Andrew McKeever | 7’3″ | Saint Mary’s | Iowa | 8.2 pts, 9.2 reb | Came off the bench last season. |
| Bukky Oboye | 7’1″ | Santa Clara | Auburn | 1.2 blk | Full stat line not found. |
| Chol Machot | 7’0″ | College of Charleston | Georgetown | Not found | Australia. Named a top-two portal big man by 247Sports. |
| Olivier Rioux | 7’9″ | Florida | UC Irvine | 15 minutes in two seasons | Canada. A walk-on at Florida. |
This is a floor, not a ceiling. Other 7-footers moved in 2026, but we only list a transfer when a named source gives the player’s height, old school and new school.
The five moves that matter most
1. Moustapha Thiam, Cincinnati to Michigan
Thiam is the best pro prospect in the group. Michigan lists him at 7’2″ with a 7’6″ wingspan. He averaged 12.8 points and 7.1 rebounds and led Cincinnati with 50 blocks. 247Sports ranked him the No. 13 transfer overall and the No. 3 center, and Fox Sports had him 10th.
2. Mor Massamba Diop, Arizona State to Gonzaga
Diop started 33 games as a freshman and put up 13.6 points and 2.1 blocks. Fox Sports ranked him 17th among all transfers. Gonzaga has a long record of developing international centers, which makes this the most interesting fit on the list.
3. Anton Bonke, Charlotte to Michigan State
Bonke, born in Vanuatu, averaged 10.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as a junior. ZagsBlog reported the commitment. He moves from the American Conference to the Big Ten, a large step up in weekly competition.
4. Samet Yigitoglu, SMU to Indiana
The 22-year-old from Istanbul is listed at 7’2″ and 270 pounds. He made 62.8% of his shots last season, with 10.7 points and 7.9 rebounds a game, according to Inside the Hall.
5. Cameron Fens, South Dakota to North Carolina
Fens had the best scoring line of any 7-footer in the portal: 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. On3 reported his commitment to North Carolina. The open question is how those numbers hold up in the ACC.
The tallest transfer: Olivier Rioux
Rioux is the tallest player in college basketball at 7’9″. He played 15 minutes in two seasons as a walk-on at Florida and moved to UC Irvine in search of playing time. Our Olivier Rioux page has his background.
How the transfer portal window changed in 2026
The NCAA shortened the window. For 2026 it ran from 7 to 21 April: 15 days, opening the day after the national championship game. Before that it opened during the NCAA Tournament and lasted 30 days. The Division I Cabinet approved the change in January 2026.
- When a head coach leaves, players get a separate window that opens five days after the new coach is hired or announced.
- Midyear transfers who were enrolled at another NCAA school in the fall cannot play for their new team that season.
The shorter window matters for centers in particular. There are far fewer 7-footers than open frontcourt spots, so the best ones tend to commit within days.
When does the 2027 transfer portal open?
Under the current rule, the 2027 men’s basketball window opens the day after the 2027 national championship game and runs for 15 days. That puts it in early April 2027. The NCAA had not published exact dates when we checked.
What it means for the NBA draft
Two of these transfers already appear in 2027 mock drafts. ESPN’s first 2027 mock had Thiam 43rd and Diop 41st, and CBS Sports had Thiam 28th. A strong season in a bigger league is the fastest way for a 7-footer to move into the first round. See our 2027 NBA draft center rankings for where they stand.
Related lists: tallest college basketball players, tallest college players by conference and tallest NBA players in 2026-27.
Frequently asked questions
How many 7-footers transferred in 2026?
We confirmed ten players listed at 7 feet or taller who changed schools through the 2026 portal and are on new rosters for 2026-27. The real number is higher, because we only count transfers with a named source for height and both schools.
Who was the top-ranked 7-footer in the 2026 transfer portal?
Moustapha Thiam, who moved from Cincinnati to Michigan. 247Sports ranked him the No. 13 transfer overall and the No. 3 center.
Who is the tallest player to transfer in 2026?
Olivier Rioux, listed at 7’9″, who moved from Florida to UC Irvine.
When does the transfer portal open in 2027?
The men’s basketball window opens the day after the 2027 national championship game and lasts 15 days. Exact dates had not been published as of October 2026.
Find every college 7-footer
All ten players on this page are in our database, along with more than 200 other Division I players listed at 7’0″ or taller. Filter by country or search by school.
Sources: Michigan Athletics, CBS Sports, Fox Sports, 247Sports, On3, ZagsBlog, Inside the Hall, WTOP and RealGM rosters. The video above is from the channel From the Hawkeye of the Storm and covers the McKeever transfer. Last checked 9 October 2026.