Ole Miss forward Jaemyn Brakefield announces plans to return to Oxford, play for Chris Beard

Not so fast! After some deliberation, Ole Miss junior Jaemyn Brakefield is rescinding his decision to enter NCAA Transfer Portal.

The Rebels forward announced he was entering the portal back on Mar. 12, but it’s evident the hiring and convincing of Chris Beard helped keep Brakefield in Oxford. In an announcement shared to Twitter on Wednesday, Brakefield elaborated on how Beard’s “vision” for the program moving forward aligned with his career.

Ole Miss’ Jaemyn Brakefield no longer intends to transfer and will return to Oxford next season. https://t.co/fOF6Lrrne6

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) March 29, 2023

“Oxford is home to me,” started Brakefield. “Coach Beard and I have discussed his vision for not only this next season, but competing for championships in the best league in the country. Excited for this great ride ahead of us. Hotty Toddy!”

Moreover, the 6-foot-8, 220-pound forward originally from Jackson, Mississippi was a key player for the Rebels this season. He averaged 11.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 53.7% from the field and 35.1% from three.

Before deciding to return to Oxford on Wednesday, Brakefield had spent the last two seasons at Ole Miss, but he began his career at Duke. In his lone season with the Blue Devils, played in 22 games, averaging 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds in 12.5 minutes per outing. 

According to the On3 Industry Ranking, Brakefield was rated as a four-star recruit and ranked No. 31 overall in the class of 2020. He was also the No. 2 power forward.

During his introductory press conference, Beard explained how excited he is to get going for the Rebels, and it’s obvious his words are already paying dividends.

“I am honored to be joining the Ole Miss family and excited to get started at this great university,” Beard said, via the press release. “I can’t express how grateful I am to Chancellor Boyce, Keith Carter and the rest of the search committee for their belief in me to lead this program. I am really looking forward to being an active part of the Oxford community. I know we have one of the best venues in the country in the SJB Pavilion, and we are going to work tirelessly to build a championship caliber program. 

“I can’t wait to connect with our players and recruits and begin this journey together. Hotty Toddy!”

As you can see, Chris Beard is already making his impact felt, as Ole Miss will keep one of their important players moving forward.

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