JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (May 7, 2025) - ETSU men's basketball has begun the reloading process for 2025-26 with a bang by adding 5'11" transfer guard Jaylen Smith from North Florida, head coach Brooks Savage announced on Wednesday.

A rising junior from Ocoee, Florida, Smith averaged 11.4 points per game, 2.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals. Smith led the ASUN in both assists per game and total assists (181), ranking 31st and 29th in Division I in those categories, respectively. His 181 assists were sixth most in a season at UNF, and he ranks sixth in career assists for the Ospreys as well with 259 in just two seasons.

"Jaylen is a guy who can do a ton of different stuff," said Savage. "He makes everybody better. Gets the ball where it needs to be, a real floor general. He's tough, a leader, a winner, a serious player, a great decision-maker, and one of the best pick and roll players in the portal. We're really excited to get Jaylen on board."

Smith was an ASUN All-Freshman pick in 2023-24, averaging 6.5 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while starting 16 games for the Ospreys in his first year. In his two seasons in Jacksonville, Smith averaged 8.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 4.0 assists with a career 1.98 assist to turnover ratio and 102 career made threes at a rate of 32%.

The Buccaneers are 38-29 in two seasons under Savage and are coming off a third-place finish in the SoCon in 2024-25.

For more information on ETSU men's basketball, go to ETSUBucs.com.