Ohio State transfer guard Taison Chatman has committed to Utah Basketball
Apr 17, 2026, 12:45 PM | Updated: 1:33 pm
Ohio State guard Taison Chatman, photo courtesy by Ohio State Athletics.
SALT LAKE CITY — Alex Jensen and Utah basketball have added another backcourt piece to its evolving roster, landing a commitment from former Ohio State guard Taison Chatman out of the transfer portal.
The 6-foot-4 guard was on campus for a visit on Tuesday. Utah needed a legitimate off-ball shooter with reliable defensive credibility and Chatman fits the bill perfectly.
He becomes the second portal addition for Jensen and his staff, joining Jackson Holcombe as the Runnin’ Utes work to remake the roster.
Utah has landed Ohio State transfer guard @tchat04!
Averaged 6.7 points and 47% from deep in Big Ten play for the Buckeyes. pic.twitter.com/hD592JwhcV
— Steve Bartle (@BartleKSLsports) April 17, 2026
Over the final stretch of the year, Chatman averaged around 6.7 points per game across the last 14 contests in Big Ten play. He emerged as one of Ohio State’s most reliable perimeter shooters, knocking down better than 47% from three-point range on the season.
Even though his production is modest, the overwhelming majority of it came against high-level competition, removing any schedule-inflation concern.
A former high-level recruit looking for a reset
Chatman arrives in Salt Lake City as a former top-40 national recruit and the No. 1 player out of Minnesota in the 2023 class — a profile that immediately signals upside. Taison Chatman
The 6-foot-4 combo guard spent three seasons at Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball, where his career was defined as much by adversity as potential.
A knee procedure early in his freshman year limited his initial development, and a torn ACL wiped out his sophomore season entirely.
But by the end of the 2025–26 season, there were signs of a breakthrough. During his increased role late in the season, Chatman showed he could operate within the flow of an offense — not forcing shots, but capitalizing when defenses collapsed or lost track of him.
Why the fit makes sense at Utah
This addition fits a very specific need — and it’s not happening in isolation. Chatman becomes Utah’s second commitment of the transfer portal cycle, joining Utah Valley transfer Jackson Holcombe, who committed earlier in the week. Together, the two begin to define what this roster is going to look like.
Utah has prioritized:
- Offensive decision-making
- Guards/wings who function more off-ball
- Two-way efficiency
Chatman checks those boxes. He shot over 47% from three-point range in limited opportunities at Ohio State, showing the kind of perimeter efficiency that Utah’s offense needs. More importantly, his skill set complements Holcombe.
Where Holcombe brings multi-phase production and complementary playmaking, Chatman provides floor spacing and shot-making — a pairing that starts to balance the roster. One raises the floor through versatility. The other stretches the defense.
Chatman isn’t the sort of athlete to thrive on the defensive end. He is, however, efficient on that end of the floor. He’ll keep himself in favorable on-ball and help defense position. He also doesn’t need to be a primary initiator to impact the game, which allows him to fit alongside Holcombe and other ball-handlers — something Utah clearly needed in its roster construction.
And with two years of eligibility remaining, there’s still runway for development — making this less about what he’s been, and more about what he can become within a more defined role.
The Bottom Line
This is a projection play — but one with a clear path. Chatman emerged as a reliable threat in the heat of conference play in the Big Ten, and though the Big 12 is tough defensively, his production should translate well.
Chatman’s skill set gives him a foothold. Players who can space the floor, make quick decisions, and score without dominating the ball tend to carve out roles — and that’s exactly where he fits.
With proven shooting, high-level pedigree, and late-season momentum, Chatman profiles as a rotational piece with real upside — the type of addition that may start quietly, but has a path to matter as his role expands.
