Former Longhorn Declan Duru Jr. commits to UC Santa Barbara

After a few weeks in the transfer portal, former Longhorn Declan Duru Jr. has found a new home. On Thursday, the talented sophomore committed to UC Santa Barbara. While Duru only got limited playing time at Texas, he was a well-regarded recruit and will now get a chance to start over on the West Coast.

During the 2025-2026 campaign, the former Longhorns forward averaged 1.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game. In his limited action, Duru shot 25 percent from the free-throw line. While mostly serving as a depth piece, the Munich native made his presence felt on the boards with at least one rebound in nine of the 11 games he played in.

UC Santa Barbara has signed Texas forward transfer Declan Duru, @chris_hummer and I have learned.

The 6-8, 235-pounder was a Class of 2025 top 120 overall recruit. Played in 12 games as a freshman at Texas last season. pic.twitter.com/nxQU0B36DD

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) May 14, 2026

At UC Santa Barbara, Duru is joining a team that finished 18-14 in the 2025-2026 season. That was the sixth-best record in the Big West. The Gauchos also held their own in conference play with an 11-9 record. They hope Duru will help them build on their success.

While Duru still has to improve his game, he did enter college with high expectations. He was ranked as a top 120 overall recruit entering his college career. That was partly due to his ability to make an impact on the boards and score close to the basket. With his new team, Duru will look to show that he can still be that player.

Awesome pickup by UCSB in Declan Duru.

Joe Pasternack has only added four players via the portal, but they all are above average Big West players.

Dibami, Smith, Chol, Duru, and incoming freshman Jordan Charles is a great core. pic.twitter.com/Q6yj6SVcGF

— JPR (@Scouting_Col) May 14, 2026

Since the Longhorns' March Madness run ended, the roster has undergone many changes. Sean Miller and his staff have lost nine players to the portal and Dailyn Swain to the NBA Draft. They have been able to offset their roster by adding David Punch, Amari Evans, Mikey Lewis, Isaiah Johnson, and Elyjah Freeman. That group will be tasked with bringing a national title to Austin.