Minnesota transfer forward Pharrel Payne commits to Texas A&M

After entering the NCAA transfer portal, former Minnesota forward Pharrel Payne has committed to Texas A&M, On3 has confirmed.

The Minnesota native heads to the Lone Star State following two seasons with the Golden Gophers after appearing in 62 games with 23 starts in his college career.

The 6-foot-9, 255-pound power forward averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game in his true freshman season at Minnesota. Averaging 22 minutes per game primarily off of the bench after receiving just four starts on the year. Still managing to rank second on the team in rebounds and first on the team with 32 blocks on the season, which also ranked 12th in the Big Ten and second amongst freshmen in the conference.

Minnesota improved their record from a disappointing 9-22 to a 19-15 finish last season, and Payne showed improvement as well. Starting in 19 of his 32 game appearances where he averaged a career-high 10 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game for the Golden Gophers. Scoring in double figures 16 times last season highlighted by a career-high 21 points against Rutgers along with 11 boards.

Payne played high school hoops at Park Senior High School in Cottage Grove (MN) where he was three-star prospect ranked as the No. 204 overall player in the country and the No. 37 power forward for the 2021 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Payne is the second player to commit to the Aggies this offseason through the transfer portal, joining Nebraska transfer guard CJ Wilcher. Who averaged 7.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game last season with the Cornhuskers after starting off his college career at Xavier.

As for transfer portal losses, Andre Gordon is the only Texas A&M player to enter the transfer portal this offseason after spending the past four seasons in College Station. As he’ll seek a bigger role at a new program ahead of his final college season after averaging just 2.2 points per game this past season.

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.