The Cougars have signed transfer Mawot Mag from Rutgers, a 6-foot-7 wing who can defend all five positions. Mag, who is originally from the Sudan, is considered one of the top defenders in college basketball.

“Mawot is an outstanding young man who has overcome a lot of adversity in his life,” Young said. “We are thrilled to welcome him and his family to BYU. He has established himself as one of the elite defenders in college basketball, and we love the edge that he plays with. Mawot’s experience, energy and toughness are welcome additions to our program.”

Mag also received offers from, among others, Southern Miss, USC, Clemson and San Diego State.

“He’s probably the best college defender I’ve seen in a long, long time,” said Maryland head coach Kevin Willard after facing Mag.

Mag, who was rated as a four-star transfer portal recruit, has one year of eligibility.

Mag appeared in 80 games during his four-year career at Rutgers, including 41 starts. He scored 440 points to go along with 250 rebounds, 60 assists, 53 steals and 24 blocks.

He started in 23 games in 2023-24, when he scored in double figures nine times en route to averaging a career-high 9.1 points per game. He recorded his first career double-double against Iowa, finishing with a career-high 24 points and 10 rebounds, five of those coming on the offensive glass.

Mag started in the first 23 games of the season as a junior, prior to suffering a season-ending injury. He averaged 7.8 points and a career-best 5.3 rebounds per game, shooting 50.0% from the field, 30.0% from three and 74.0% from the free throw line. He scored in double figures five times, including a 15-point, eight-rebound performance in a 68-64 win over Ohio State.

He saw action in 28 games as a sophomore, including his first career start against Purdue. He finished with 12 points in the Knights’ win over the Boilermakers, going 4-of-6 from the field, 1-of-2 from three and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. He scored a then-career-high 13 points in a win over Nebraska later in the season, going a perfect 4-of-4 from the field and 4-of-4 from the free throw line to go along with seven rebounds.

He appeared in 12 games as a true freshman in 2020-21. He made his collegiate debut against Sacred Heart, going 1-of-3 from the field while pulling down four rebounds.

Mag was a three-star recruit out of Prolific Prep in California, averaging 10.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a senior. He was rated as the 41st small forward and 223rd in the country by 247 Sports.