Arizona State freshman Jayden Quaintance, a projected top-five pick in the 2026 NBA draft, underwent successful surgery to repair a torn ACL in his right knee on March 19 at the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, his father, Haminn Quaintance, told ESPN.
Jayden Quaintance is projected to be cleared for contact in September, six months following his surgery, his father says, putting him in line to return to action before the start of the 2025-26 college season in November.
"He's already ahead of schedule, the doctor says, and should be cleared for contact in September," Haminn Quaintance said.
Jayden Quaintance will also explore entering the transfer portal, following a season in which he was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams, only the fifth player in conference history to earn that distinction.
"We're looking to put the right people around him," Haminn Quaintance said.
Jayden Quaintance averaged 9.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in 29 minutes per game, despite being the youngest player in college basketball, arriving on campus at 16 years old last summer after graduating high school a year early. He is not eligible for the 2025 draft because of the NBA age limit, which stipulates that a player must turn 19 years old in the calendar year of the draft.
Quaintance, born July 11, 2007, would have been the third-youngest player at this year's McDonald's All American Game even if he had stayed in his original high school class. He has played this entire college season as a 17-year-old, which is nearly unprecedented.
At 6-foot-10, he was one of the best shot blockers in college basketball this season, boasting a 7-foot-5 wingspan, outstanding mobility and strong instincts on both ends of the floor. He's a strong passer, a significant weapon creating his own shot from the perimeter or finishing out of pick-and-roll, and has the versatility to slide all over the floor defensively. He'll immediately become one of the top players in the transfer portal should he indeed enter, and will be closely studied by NBA executives throughout the season, regardless of where he ultimately lands.
"I'm planning on coming back better than last year," Quaintance told ESPN. "I'm already attacking my rehab aggressively."
Jonathan Givony is an NBA draft expert and the founder and co-owner of DraftExpress.com, a private scouting and analytics service used by NBA, NCAA and international teams.