Texas Tech guard Elijah Hawkins enters NCAA transfer portal

Texas Tech guard Elijah Hawkins has entered the NCAA transfer portal, On3’s Jamie Shaw has learned. A former Minnesota guard, Kentucky targeted him during the 2024 transfer cycle before he ultimately committed to the Red Raiders.

Hawkins started 34 of 35 games this past season at Texas Tech, averaging 9.1 points and a Big 12-leading 6.5 assists per game. That came after one year at Minnesota, where he scored 9.5 points and dished a career-high 7.5 assists per game as a junior.

Hawkins began his career at Howard before entering the portal and heading to Minnesota. He does not have any eligibility left, but is entering the transfer portal amid lawsuits against the NCAA that could result in another year, depending on a judge’s ruling.

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.

Elijah Hawkins is a Washington, D.C. native and played high school basketball at Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic. He then chose to stay in the nation’s capital at Howard before taking his talents to Minnesota and, ultimately, Texas Tech.

The NCAA is facing multiple lawsuits regarding eligibility rules in wake of the suit filed by Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia. He argued his years at the junior college level shouldn’t count toward his NCAA eligibility, and a judge granted him one more season. The NCAA then granted a waiver to athletes who attended a non-NCAA school for the 2025 season.

That led to more legal action, including suits focusing on the “five-year rule,” which allows most athletes to play four seasons of their sport in five years. A notable one is ongoing in New Jersey as Rutgers football player Jett Elad filed suit challenging the five-year rule, claiming he was offered $500,000 to play for the Scarlet Knights this year and the NCAA’s inconsistent approach to waivers is keeping him from earning those NIL dollars.

Two more in North Carolina, however, got a key decision Tuesday. Judge Matthew T. Houston declined to grant a preliminary injunction in Jones v. NCAA and Smith v. NCAA. Four athletes – UNC football player JJ Jones and Duke football players Ryan Smith, Cam Bergeron and Tre’Shon Devones – filed the suits and challenged the NCAA’s “five-year rule,” which gives most athletes four seasons on a roster over five years, barring injury exemptions or waivers.

Houston cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support granting a preliminary injunction. That means the NCAA’s rules will still be enforced as written. Because the players are all NFL Draft-eligible, they can either wait for the case to proceed out or head to the NFL.