Virginia Tech Lands Commitment from UNLV Guard Jailen Bedford
Virginia Tech and head coach Mike Young have secured a commitment from UNLV guard Jailen Bedford, as reported by 247Sports early Wednesday morning. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior has one year of eligibility remaining due to the JUCO waiver granted in December.
Bedford spent the 2024–25 season with the Runnin’ Rebels, where he averaged 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game — both third-best on the team — while shooting 39% from the field and 34.9% from beyond the arc. Though his overall numbers weren’t eye-popping, Bedford found his rhythm late in the season, scoring in double figures in 10 of UNLV’s final 11 games. During that stretch, he posted averages of 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
His top performance came in a Dec. 7 road matchup at Creighton, where he scored 20 points on 8-of-15 shooting and added three rebounds, three steals, and two assists. He followed it up later that month with an 18-point effort against Fresno State.
A native of Austin, Texas, Bedford was efficient on both ends of the floor. He ranked 25th in the Mountain West in steal rate (2.1%) and 22nd in turnover rate (13.5). Advanced metrics from KenPom show he led the league in percentage of shots taken (31.1%) and ranked fifth in usage rate (26.2%). He also held the ninth-best defensive rebounding rate in the conference at 19.2%, offering a skill set that should pair well with Virginia Tech’s frontcourt pieces, including Amani Hansberry, Tyler Johnson, Tobi Lawal, and Izaiah Pasha.
In total, Bedford reached double-digit scoring 20 times in 33 games. While he opened the season as a starter, he transitioned to a bench role after six games but still logged significant minutes, including starting both of UNLV’s conference tournament games. As a reserve, he played 28 or more minutes in seven contests, highlighting his value regardless of role.
Virginia Tech Adds Versatile Guard Jailen Bedford from UNLV
Virginia Tech and head coach Mike Young landed a key addition to their 2025–26 roster on Wednesday, as UNLV guard Jailen Bedford announced his commitment to the Hokies, per 247Sports. The 6-foot-4, 180-pound senior has one year of eligibility remaining, granted by the JUCO waiver approved last December.
Bedford is coming off a solid season with the Runnin’ Rebels, where he posted 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, shooting 39% from the field and 34.9% from deep. While his season averages were steady, Bedford elevated his play late in the year — hitting double figures in 10 of UNLV’s final 11 games and averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds over that span.
His standout performances included a 20-point outing against Creighton on Dec. 7 and an 18-point showing against Fresno State. Though he opened the year as a starter, Bedford transitioned into a bench role, still seeing heavy minutes — playing 28+ minutes in seven games off the bench and starting in both conference tournament contests.
Before transferring to UNLV, Bedford spent the 2023–24 season at Oral Roberts, where he had a breakout campaign. He started every game for the Golden Eagles and averaged 14.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. He tallied five 20-point games, including impressive performances against Big 12 competition: 23 points (5-of-7 from three) at Kansas State and 26 points (6-of-8) at Texas Tech. He shot 42.4% overall and 37.5% from three-point range.
Bedford began his college career at Trinidad State Junior College, where he was a standout over two seasons (2021–23). He averaged 16.6 points per game, earned two all-tournament selections, and helped lead his team to a regional championship.
A native of Hutto, Texas, Bedford starred at Hutto High School, averaging 19 points, five rebounds, and two assists per game. He led the program to back-to-back regional titles and was named the team MVP. With his commitment, he becomes the first Virginia Tech men’s basketball player from Texas since Zach LeDay (2014–16).
Bedford is the Hokies’ third addition from the transfer portal this offseason, joining forward Amani Hansberry (West Virginia) and guard Izaiah Pasha (Delaware). The program also recently picked up German center Antonio Dorn. With Bedford on board, Virginia Tech now has 10 scholarship players for the upcoming season.
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