Hours after Nate Bittle's return, Oregon reportedly named as potential suitor for USC transfer Desmond Claude 

USC guard Desmond Claude had a stellar season for the Trojans after joining from the Xavier Musketeers. Claude entered the transfer portal in April and was ranked No. 24 in the portal class according to On3, with several schools jostling for his commitment.

Claude has been linked with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, SMU Mustangs, Ole Miss Rebels, Kentucky Wildcats and the Alabama Crimson Tide. On Wednesday, he was linked with the Oregon Ducks after star forward Nate Bittle withdrew from the 2025 NBA Draft to return to Eugene for an extra college basketball season.

Field of 68 analyst Jeff Goodman linked Desmond Claude with the Ducks and Tennessee Volunteers in a post on X.

"Tennessee and Oregon both reached out to USC transfer Desmond Claude today, source told @thefieldof68 Claude also looking at Alabama and Gonzaga. SMU has also been in the mix," Goodman tweeted.

In an article on ESPN in May, analyst Jeff Borzello revealed what Desmond Claude was looking for at his next destination.

“USC transfer Desmond Claude is hearing from Gonzaga, Virginia and Kentucky , sources told ESPN, with Duke reaching out over the weekend,” Borzello wrote. “In his next school, sources said, Claude is looking for a proven backcourt mate to share playmaking & a team built for a deep run.”

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Desmond Claude linked with national champs

Coach Todd Golden's reigning national champions Florida Gators lost a lot of talent after their historic season. The Gators lost leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr., Will Richard and Alijah Martin to graduation and Denzel Aberdeen to the Kentucky Wildcats via the transfer portal.

During a segment of the College Basketball Show, analyst Travis Branham linked Claude with the reigning national champions.

"Claude is taking a visit to Florida this week, beginning on Thursday," Branham said. "Florida is frankly the team to beat. When Denzel Aberdeen hit the portal, things really opened up for Florida. Todd Golden is in big need of an impact guard, and Desmond Calude absolutely fits that bill. There sounds to be some heavy mutual interest in this pairing.

"Heading into the weekend, Florida is absolutely a team to watch. There have also been discussions of teams like Ole Miss, North Carolina, Kansas, BYU and some others who have expressed some interest in him. However, they're all taking a back seat to the Gators. I would say the chances of him ending back up with USC is basically 0% at this point."

Claude averaged 15.8 points on 48.2% shooting from the floor and 30.7% shooting from beyond the arc, 3.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists for the USC Trojans last season, accounting for the widespread interest from schools for his services.