Miles Byrd from San Diego State is a upcoming senior guard that just recently hit the transfer portal. He is a player that can score in large spurts but does so on high volume. But the best feature about him is he is one of the best defensive guards that will make his way onto the transfer portal. He is 6’7 and has good length and speed to be able to keep up with guards and even take on forwards. Being the perfect fit for a Mick Cronin type defense that can also chip in some offense.
NEWS: San Diego State guard Miles Byrd, the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, plans to enter the @TransferPortal, he told @On3. ⁰⁰The 6-6 junior averaged 10.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game this season. https://t.co/P2CLLLO2iq pic.twitter.com/bQmSNOs3HF
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) March 27, 2026
Byrd was the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year this past season. He also is the last remaining player from a San Diego State team that made a miracle run to the Final Four in 2023. He has the experience and the leadership to be able to step in and help in his last season of eligibility. UCLA battled inconsistencies on defense in 2025 and Byrd would go a long way to shoring up some of those issues.
Over the last two seasons, he has averaged 12.3 and 10.4 points per game. But done so 38.1% and 40.5% shooting and doesn’t have much of a 3-point shot. It cannot be overlooked though how dominant he can be on defense. Averaging two steals over the last two years and playing elite defense, and one of the best defenders on the country. Cronin succeeds the most when he has a player of that nature such as a Jaylen Clark.
the once draft twitter darling Miles Byrd has been somewhat forgotten but his defensive playmaking in MW play has been insane even by his incredibly high standards: over 19 conference games Byrd logs a 7.2% blk and 4.3% stl rate
— Sheed on the Hawks (@SheedinATL) March 5, 2026
Byrd still can't score efficiently and 50% efg and… pic.twitter.com/rjBzcIGYVH
Byrd can score the basketball, so it is not like it isn’t there. It just needs to be done with more consistency and maybe a new system would work for him. UCLA has guys that can space the floor in Skyy Clark and Trent Perry. Possibly that opens up the floor for Byrd to operate in more space. If this is a possible match, his defense will fit right in and help this team immediately. The scoring would just be an added boost.