A former Spartan will pursue the opportunity to play again at the college level, and he has some teams in mind for where he could end up.
Former Michigan State Spartans forward Jaxon Kohler will reportedly explore a return to college basketball for a fifth season, with a trio of new teams in the mix. According to college basketball insider Jon Rothstein, Kohler is receiving interest from Kansas, Kentucky and BYU. A return to Michigan State is also considered as “possible” by Rothstein.
Kohler wrapped up his four-year career with the Spartans this past season, averaging 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game to help Michigan State reach the Sweet 16. He was not selected in the 2026 NBA Draft but competed with the Utah Jazz in the NBA summer leagues.
Kohler has been rumored to be in close contact with BYU so the assumption is that if he doesn’t return to Michigan State then it’ll be with the local Cougars. Without any inside information, I would be surprised if he doesn’t end up playing for BYU next season (assuming things work out in his favor where he gets to play another season of college hoops).
If Michigan State is able to add Kohler to its roster for another season, then it would certainly benefit their chances at winning the national championship. But it’s also unclear at this time if Michigan State has a spot for Kohler given its current roster construction. Ultimately, it’ll be interesting to see how things play out, with an expectation that Kohler will end up somewhere that’ll be very happy to have him.
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on X @RobertBondy5.
This article originally appeared on Spartans Wire: Former Spartan reportedly pursuing 5th year, getting interest from power programs
Reporting by Robert Bondy, Spartans Wire / Spartans Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Bondy, Spartans Wire | USA TODAY Network
