Varner committed to play college basketball at Texas–Rio Grande Valley, turning down offers from Arkansas–Pine Bluff, UC Riverside, and Milwaukee.
He stated that he knew Texas–Rio Grande Valley was a good fit after his visit, and he connected with coach Lew Hill.
[1] After posting his first double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds in an 85–77 win against Chicago State, Varner was named WAC player of the week on January 24, 2017.
[5] As a senior, Varner averaged 15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, while shooting 43.3 percent from the field.
[6] Varner signed his first professional contract with UBSC Graz of the Austrian Basketball Superliga on August 26, 2021.