Navigate the Jayhawks' shifting roster. Discover who's joining, who's leaving, and the seven open scholarships shaping next season's team.
Transfer portal season is in full swing, and the Kansas Jayhawks are right in the middle of it.
Kansas currently has seven open scholarship spots, giving Bill Self and his staff plenty of flexibility to rebuild. The early returns show a mix of key additions and notable departures, signaling a roster that will look significantly different next season.
Portal Additions (Committed to Kansas)
- Leroy Blyden Jr. (Toledo, G) – MAC Freshman of the Year brings scoring and playmaking
- Keanu Dawes (Utah, PF) – Athletic forward, KU’s first portal pickup
Portal Departures (Committed Elsewhere)
- Elmarko Jackson (G) → Georgetown
- Bryson Tiller (PF) → Missouri
- Jamari McDowell (G) → Wake Forest
- Samis Calderon (PF) → Butler
- Flory Bidunga (C) → Louisville
Players Who Entered the Portal
- Corbin Allen (G)
- Jayden Dawson (G) (Eligibility Waiver Requested)
- Samis Calderon (PF) (before committing to Butler
- Flory Bidunga (C) (before committing to Louisville)
- Jamari McDowell (SG) (before committing to Wake Forest)
- Elmarko Jackson (G) (before committing to Georgetown)
- Bryson Tiller (PF) (before committing to Missouri)
2026-27 Roster Outlook
Returning / Incoming Players:
- Keanu Dawes — Senior
- Leroy Blyden Jr. — Sophomore
- Kohl Rosario — Sophomore
- Paul Mbiya (Working On Return Deal) — Sophomore
- Taylen Kinney — Freshman
- Davion Adkins — Freshman
- Trent Perry — Freshman
- Luke Barnett — Freshman
Open Scholarships: 7
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Kansas Lands Toledo Transfer Guard Leroy Blyden Jr. in Key Portal Addition
Leroy Blyden Jr. has committed to Kansas out of the transfer portal on Monday morning, giving Bill Self a much-needed backcourt addition.
The former Toledo Rockets standout guard averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds as a freshman while shooting 40.7% from three. He started 32 games and scored in double figures in his final 24 contests.
Blyden was named MAC Freshman of the Year and earned All-MAC Third Team honors.
Kansas, which has dealt with heavy roster turnover and early portal misses, now adds a proven guard who can score, create and contribute right away.
KU WR Coach Terrence Samuel’s Early Message Sealed It: Why WR Nahzae Cox Chose Kansas
Current KU transfer wide receiver Nahzae Cox had options when he hit the transfer portal, but Kansas made sure it didn’t feel like a recruitment battle for long.
The former Middle Tennessee State wide receiver said it was wide receivers coach Terrence Samuel who immediately separated KU from the pack. While programs like Michigan State, Oklahoma State and Maryland reached out, Samuel’s approach stood out from the jump.
“Coach Tam, he text me… ‘I’m going to come get you,’” Cox said. “After that, I was like, shoot, come on.”
That early message wasn’t just talk. Samuel stayed consistent, continuing to text and call Cox throughout the process, building a relationship that went beyond football.
The turning point came during Cox’s visit to Michigan State. While waiting in the airport, Samuel called, not to pitch Kansas, but to learn who Cox was as a person.
“He was like, ‘I want to get to know you as a person before you get here,’” Cox said.
That conversation hit differently. Instead of selling promises, Samuel challenged him.
“He was like… ‘You got to come out here and put the work in. I can’t promise you nothing,’” Cox said. “That’s all I wanted—somebody to challenge me.”
Then came the question that sealed it.
“Do you take hard coaching?” Cox recalled.
“I was like, ‘Yeah… that’s what I’ve been getting my whole life.’”
For Cox, that was the fit.
A coach who wasn’t promising anything. A program that demanded work. And a relationship that felt real from the start.
In a crowded portal recruitment, that message, and that mindset, put Kansas over the edge.