The University of Denver men’s basketball program announced on May 13 that Jaelen Nelson, a guard from Edward Waters University, will join the team for the 2026-27 season. Head coach Tim Bergstraser said Nelson is the latest addition to the roster.
Nelson comes to Denver after two seasons at NCAA Division II Edward Waters University in Jacksonville, Florida. He played in 55 games and made 40 starts during his time there. In his most recent season, he averaged 11.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, reaching double figures in scoring in 22 games and posting a career-high of 26 points against Central State on January 31.
Bergstraser said this signing marks his tenth addition of the offseason. The other new players are Oskar Wickström Stümer (signed April 17), Trey Cady (April 27), Baba Mbengue (May 7), CJ Hyland (May 8), Harry Bates (May 9), Kam Martin (May 9), Jordan Rogers (May 11), Charlie Dimmock (May 11) and Spencer Mahoney (May 12).
In his sophomore year at Edward Waters, Nelson started all of his team’s games and averaged over thirty minutes per contest with consistent scoring performances. As a freshman, he appeared in twenty-four games with nine starts and scored double digits four times during a stretch in February.
Before college, Nelson won the Class Six-A Florida State High School Championship during the 2023-24 season.
