There are many potential reasons why former BYU guard and top JUCO recruit KJ Perry could have left Kevin Young's program in Provo. A minimized role, a bad culture fit, or simply needing a fresh start from the program that he watched from the bench are all reasonable reasons why a change of scenery was necessary for Perry.
And Fresno State was an understandable landing spot. Still unproven at the D-1 level, Perry needed a stepping stone to prove to power conference schools that he's capable of excelling against the big boys. That, plus Fresno being much closer to home than Utah, there were few shocked faces when we learned of Perry's departure and subsequent landing spot.
But after sharing a picture of his new threads on TikTok, Perry revealed the main reason why he'll be playing with the Bulldogs this season: NIL.
According to KJ, Fresno State doubled BYU's NIL offer, and the JUCO standout jumped at the chance. That was not a typo. Fresno doubled what BYU was willing to pay the guard. That's crazy.
Former BYU guard KJ Perry on TikTok. pic.twitter.com/5MzXWAA0lV
— Church Ball: A BYU Hoops Pod (@churchballpod) May 14, 2026
Perry has since deleted this post, but the internet never forgets.
Say what you will about BYU basketball, but shallow pockets for NIL packages has never been one of the program's shortcomings, especially after the huge investment the athletic department made by hiring the highest-paid assistant coach in the entire NBA, Kevin Young, over two years ago.
So the critical question arises: did BYU short-change Perry, or did Fresno State overpay like crazy to secure Perry's talents for the 2026-27 season?
Perhaps with the budget being designated heavily to retaining Rob Wright III, adding 5-star Bruce Branch III, or even reeling in Collin Chandler from Mark Pope over at Kentucky (not to mention the money needed to secure an NBA-hopeful starting center, a la Luigi Suigo), KJ Perry simply wasn't a priority for BYU basketball, and therefore didn't make a very high offer.
Regardless, Fresno State is undoubtedly paying a very hefty price for a basketball player if it's double what BYU is willing to shell out. All the best to KJ, hopefully he rewards Fresno State for their investment.
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