Camden’s DJ Wagner to sign with Maryland for senior season after visiting Villanova
Wagner will join Maryland after playing two seasons at Arkansas and one at Kentucky under John Calipari. The Wildcats are still in the market for a starting lead guard, among other ball handlers.
After three seasons with John Calipari, Camden’s DJ Wagner is coming back east for his senior season.
Just not to Villanova.
After visiting the Main Line earlier this week, Wagner will sign with Maryland, according to 247Sports and multiple reports.
Wagner, who was one of the top prospects nationally in the class of 2023, joins Maryland after playing his previous two seasons at Arkansas, where he followed Calipari — the coach for whom his father, Dajaun, played in college at Memphis — from Kentucky after his freshman season.
Once thought to be a one-and-done NBA prospect, Wagner has had an up-and-down college journey. The 6-foot-4 guard struggled through an ankle injury during his freshman season. Then, after starting all 36 games in 2024-25 at Arkansas, Wagner took a backseat at times this past season in a backcourt that featured two of the best freshman guards in the country. He played off the ball more as All-American Darius Acuff Jr. ran the point.
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Wagner, who was a three-time New Jersey player of the year in high school, had a career-low 7.4 points and 23.6 minutes per game. He started 19 of 35 games for a Razorbacks team that reached the Sweet 16. Notably, Wagner had his most efficient shooting season, posting a 34.6% rate from behind the three-point line, a jump from his 30.4% performance a season earlier.
Wagner visited Villanova on Tuesday before he agreed to a deal with Maryland, Kevin Willard’s former school.
The Wildcats have been in the market for a starting lead guard and now need multiple ballhandlers after backup point guard Chris Jeffrey entered the transfer portal in recent days.
They have been linked to Cornell shooting guard Jake Fiegen and reportedly have a visit scheduled with St. Mary’s transfer Mikey Lewis.
So far, Villanova has added two Big Ten forwards via the portal in Kwame Evans Jr. (Oregon) and Devin Royal (Ohio State).
With Jeffrey and Malachi Palmer becoming the latest departures to the portal, Villanova’s roster for 2026-27 consisted of Tyler Perkins, Matt Hodge, incoming freshman Adam Oumiddoch, Evans, and Royal as of Saturday afternoon.
More transfer signings are on the way.
