Jackson Pence | Cyclone Fanatic

Iowa State landed its second transfer portal commitment of the day and third of the 2026 cycle in Bradley guard Jaquan Johnson.

As a sophomore, the MVC Defensive Player of the Year averaged 16.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.

For reference, Johnson’s 2.5 steals per game last season ranked ninth nationally. Tamin Lipsey’s 2.3 steals per game ranked 14th nationally.

The First Team All-MVC player is the third commit of the 2026 portal cycle. Johnson is the second Missouri Valley Conference player to commit to Iowa State out of the transfer portal, with the first being Northern Iowa’s Leon Bond. Both were named to the 1st Team All-Defense team this past season.

Here is Jake Brend’s scout of Johnson:

Johnson is one of the best guards in the Missouri Valley. He broke out in a big way this season, averaging 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game on 42/38/78 shooting splits. He was named First Team All-MVC and Defensive Player of the Year as a sophomore. The question here is size. At 5-foot-11, he doesn’t exactly fit the typical Otzelberger mold. That said, he’s a microwave scorer and a legit defender. Talent like that always translates somewhere — even if the fit isn’t perfect on paper.