Jesse Edwards will reportedly enter transfer portal

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Syracuse center Jesse Edwards has entered the transfer portal, according to syracuse.com’s Donna Ditota. The article reported that Edwards and his family “had been trying to work out an NIL situation” with Syracuse but eventually the two parties couldn’t reach an agreement. Next year will be his fifth and final year of eligibility.

Edwards, a native of Amsterdam, Netherlands, completed his senior year after the Orange fell to Wake Forest 77-74 in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament in March. Syracuse.com reported that Edwards’ trouble with name, image and likeness stems from being an international student. Currently eligible to study in the United States on an F-1 student visa, Edwards is technically not allowed to receive NIL money in the U.S. There were talks of finding Edwards NIL deals overseas, specifically in his home country, but no sufficient opportunity presented itself, per the report. 

In his four years with the Orange, Edwards finished with career averages of 8.8 points and six rebounds per game. In 2022-23, Edwards had his most productive year yet, totaling 463 points, snatching down 330 rebounds, recording 87 blocks and shooting at a 59.2% clip from the field. 

In Syracuse’s final home game, Edwards notched a career-high 27 points and 20 rebounds in a win over Wake Forest, and earlier in the year, he registered 21 rebounds in a loss to Bryant. Edwards led the ACC in blocks, averaging 2.7 and he tallied 13 double-doubles this season. His performance against the Demon Deacons was the program’s first 20-point, 20-rebound night since 2009. Edwards was named to the All-ACC Third Team and All-Defensive Team.