Jordan Pope, a guy who was literally the starting point guard for Texas basketball for two seasons, just signed with Longhorn rival Texas A&M. Yeah, you read that right. Pope is heading to College Station after getting a fifth year of eligibility, which means he’ll still be playing in the Moody Center, but he won’t be rocking burnt orange. Talk about a gut punch for the Longhorns and a massive pickup for the Aggies.
A Wild Ride Ends for Pope, Ignites a Rivalry
Pope’s collegiate journey has been a whirlwind. He played two seasons at Oregon State before spending two seasons with Texas, where he was the starting point guard for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 campaigns. Last season, the guy put up 13.1 points and 1.9 assists in 29.0 minutes a game. Those are solid numbers for a starting point guard! He even played a role when Texas faced Purdue in that Sweet 16 loss on March 26, 2026. Now, after receiving his fifth season thanks to a court injunction in his home state of California, he’s taking his talents to the other side of the rivalry. Can you imagine the buzz around the first Texas A&M vs. Texas game? It’s going to be electric.
The NCAA’s Eligibility Chaos Hits Hard
This whole situation with Pope isn’t just a random transfer; it’s a direct result of the NCAA’s wild eligibility rules getting flipped on their head. Pope was one of dozens of collegiate athletes who got an extra year after filing a lawsuit against the NCAA. See, the NCAA is rolling out this new age-based eligibility model, the “five-for-five” rule, which basically gives athletes five years no matter what. That clock starts when they first enroll or hit age 19. But here’s the kicker: Class of 2022 recruits, like Pope, weren’t automatically grandfathered in. This created a wave of lawsuits that effectively granted these guys an extra year.
But Texas just couldn’t make room. Coach Sean Miller wished Pope well, but made it clear he had no roster spots open. Texas filled its 15th and final player spot with Marcus Spears Jr., who reclassified from the 2027 class to 2026. This roster crunch comes from the 2025 House vs. NCAA settlement, which removed scholarship limits but imposed strict roster limits, bumping men’s basketball teams to a maximum of 15 players. That means no more walk-ons like Anthon McDermott, and no more room for guys like Pope. It’s a tough break for a starting guard, but a massive win for Texas A&M.
Pope will be back at the Moody Center, ready to tear it up for his new team. It’ll be fascinating to see how he fits in at Texas A&M and what kind of impact he has. Meanwhile, Texas has to live with the fact that a rival just snagged their former starter. Get ready for some serious drama next season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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