Georgia guard RJ Melendez enters NCAA transfer portal

One of Georgia‘s leading scorers is in the transfer portal. Guard RJ Melendez has entered the portal, On3 has learned. DawgsHQ reported earlier Tuesday that he was planning to enter.

Melendez ranked fourth on the Georgia team in scoring this past season at 9.6 points per game. He also averaged 4.1 rebounds per contest.

RJ Melendez entered the transfer portal after one season with the Bulldogs. He previously played at Illinois.

Melendez was ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 101 overall player in the country in the class of 2021, according to the On3 Industry rankings.

He mostly came off the bench as a freshman and averaged 3.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game across 22 games.

As a sophomore in 2022-23, RJ Melendez averaged 6 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. He played in 32 games that year, making 18 starts.

Melendez mostly came off the bench for the Bulldogs this season, starting only seven of 36 games. However, he was still one of the top scorers on the team. Now he is on the move once again.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

Georgia transfer, former VCU forward Jalen Deloach commits to Loyola Chicago

RJ Melendez isn’t the only Georgia player to leave the Bulldogs program this offseason.

 Former Georgia forward Jalen Deloach also entered the transfer portal before committing to Loyola Chicago.

Deloach appeared in 32 games this past season for UGA, averaging 3.6 points and 3.3 rebounds across 12.8 minutes. That came after two years at VCU, where he turned in his best season as a sophomore when he put up 9.7 points and grabbed 6.9 rebounds per game.

Loyola Chicago got a good look at Deloach that year when he totaled 16 points and seven rebounds in a 78-64 VCU victory over the Ramblers. Now, he’s the latest addition for Drew Valentine and Co. after bouncing back to win the A-10 this past season – Loyola Chicago’s second in the league.

Deloach will join a Loyola Chicago team coming off an impressive rebound season in 2023-24, going 15-3 in A-10 play to clinch a share of the conference title with Richmond.

Jalen Deloach was one of four players to transfer out of Georgia this portal cycle, along with Jabri Abdur-Rahim. He announced his commitment to Providence last Monday, he told On3’s Joe Tipton, after putting up 12.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game this season.

Abdur-Rahim, a product of Blair Academy (N.J.), began his college career at Virginia and is a former four-star recruit. He was the No. 38 overall player in the nation from the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.