STANFORD, Calif. – Welcoming its fourth transfer, and first graduate transfer, under Kyle Smith, the Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men’s Basketball, Stanford has announced the addition of Jaylen Blakes from Duke.
“Adding Jaylen Blakes to our team enhances us on many levels. He will provide us with athleticism and experience in the backcourt,” said Smith. “Offensively he has the ability to score and distribute by getting paint touches with his strength and quickness, while also keeping defenses honest with the ability to knock down 3-pointers.”
A three-year graduate from Duke, Blakes comes to Stanford as a two-time all-academic honoree in the ACC. He appeared in 83 games with three starts over a trio of seasons with the Blue Devils, averaging 2.2 points and 1.0 rebounds per game while operating as one of the program’s top defensive players. Blakes averaged 1.8 points per night as a junior while grabbing a career-best 21 steals on the season, helping Duke advance to the NCAA Elite Eight. He previously reached the NCAA Final Four in 2021-22 as a freshman.
“Defensively, Jaylen gives us a defender with a pit bull mentality,” continued Smith. “He has the ability to guard the ball which is vital to setting any defense. Being a college graduate, we will lean into his maturity and leadership. He has been a great role model and leader as a true student-athlete in prep school and college, and his knowledge and experience of the league will be helpful as we transition into the ACC.”
Blakes joined the Duke program as a four-star, top-100 recruit via On3 and ESPN. He was ranked as high as No. 74 nationally and as the top-rated player in the state of New Jersey from On3, and he was slotted No. 89 by ESPN as the second-best player in New Jersey. He originally chose Duke over a plethora of high major programs, including Stanford.
Blakes is the fourth incoming transfer of the Kyle Smith era, joining Oziyah Sellers (USC), Derin Saran (UC Irvine) and Chisom Okpara (Harvard).