Penn State Lands Former Miami (OH) Wing Brant Byers

Yahoo SportsYesterday3 min readOriginal source →

TL;DR

Penn State basketball has secured a transfer from Miami (OH), landing 6-foot-8 wing Brant Byers. This comes after a challenging offseason marked by player and coaching staff departures.

Miami (OH) RedHawks wing Brant Byers (22) shoots from three point range in the first half of the NCAA Tournament First Four game between the Miami Redhawks and Southern Methodist University Mustangs, Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at University of Dayton Arena in Dayton, Oh. | Frank Bowen IV/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It’s been a rough offseason for the Nittany Lions so far. There’s been the departures of a number of players, most notably freshman guard Kayden Mingo. There’s been the departures on the coaching staff, with longtime Mike Rhoades assistant Jamal Brunt leaving for Syracuse. Finally though, there is some good news for Penn State basketball as it landed Miami-Ohio transfer wing Brant Byers.

A 6-foot-8 wing originally from Chambersburg, PA, Byers spent the last two seasons at Miami. He was the second-leading scoring for the RedHawks this past season, helping the school to a 32-2 record that included a win over SMU in the First Four games of the NCAA tournament.

I’ll be honest with you guys, I saw that Byers entered the portal and knew the PA connection, but I am quite stunned he’s making his way to Penn State. I would have thought he was someone who would go to a school like UVA or Clemson or Wisconsin or Vanderbilt — tried-and-true tournament teams. I mean, there just aren’t many kids with Byers size who shoot as well as he shoots. Across his two seasons at Miami, he averaged 4.5 three-point attempts per game, making 40.1% of them. That’s an *elite* rate. Toss in that he displayed some real off the dribble chops as a sophomore — getting to the free throw line 4.8 times per game in 2025-26 — and I have no doubt Byers is turning down much more successful programs.

My guess is that Byers sees a bigger opportunity here to be a hub of the offense like he was at Miami. Not to say he was the focal point — the RedHawks top seven scorers averaged between 14.8 PPG and 9.8 PPG — but he’ll undoubtedly see more of the ball at Penn State than he would at some of the Top 25 schools that were after him.

Q&A

Who is Brant Byers and what is his background?

Brant Byers is a 6-foot-8 wing from Chambersburg, PA, who played the last two seasons at Miami (OH), where he was the second-leading scorer.

What impact did Brant Byers have at Miami (OH)?

At Miami (OH), Byers contributed significantly to the team's success, helping them achieve a 32-2 record and a victory over SMU in the NCAA tournament.

What challenges has Penn State basketball faced this offseason?

Penn State has faced player departures, including freshman guard Kayden Mingo, and coaching staff changes, notably the exit of assistant Jamal Brunt to Syracuse.