Former Florida Gators center Micah Handlogten entered the NCAA Transfer Portal while fighting for an additional year of eligibility. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Former Florida Gators center Micah Handlogten entered the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason as he awaited a decision from the NCAA regarding a waiver for an additional year of eligibility. However, in the wake of the NCAA's new eligibility rules that were approved this week, he is taking his shot at a career in the NBA.

Handlogten on Friday signed an Exhibit-10 deal with the Utah Jazz, joining guard Xaivian Lee as the two NBA-bound Gators from last season's team. Lee signed with Cleveland on an Exhibit-10 deal on Thursday.

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An Exhibit-10 contract is a non-guaranteed one-year deal worth the minimum salary during training camp and is used to invite undrafted free agents to camp while securing their G League rights.

Handlogten became a fan-favorite across his three seasons in Gainesville after transferring from Marshall. As Florida's starting center during the 2023-24 season, he averaged 5.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game before a broken ankle in the SEC Tournament Final against Auburn ended his season.

He initially planned to medically redshirt for the 2024-25 season, but as Florida turned into a title contender while in need of a depth big, Handlogten elected to return for the Gators' run to a national title. He averaged just 2.6 points and 4.9 rebounds per game but played valuable minutes that allowed starters Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu to rest.

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"I've said it a lot: I feel like he deserves the label as one of the most unselfish Gator athletes to ever play on this campus, especially in the basketball program," head coach Todd Golden said in March of Handlogten. "To do what he did last year, to help us win a national championship. I think people around the program appreciate that about him."

Handlogten returned for the 2025-26 season, averaging 3.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game off the bench.

After Florida's shocking loss to Iowa in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32, Handlogten told Florida Gators on SI that he was still waiting on a decision regarding his waiver.

"It's something I'm not gonna worry about right now. I'm gonna go out there, and I'm gonna just do my offseason workouts like as if I don't have any more years of eligibility," he said. "Then if it comes back, and I've been doing all those offseason workouts, so I'll be good coming back."

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He eventually elected to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal on April 6 before ultimately signing a deal with Utah, where his father, Ben, played from 2003-05.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/florida as Former Gators C Micah Handlogten's Future Revealed After NCAA Transfer Portal Entry.