As Kansas football eyes its Sept. 4 opener at home against LIU, the Jayhawks are still leaving the door cracked on possible roster help before the 2026 season gets rolling.
That’s because the bigger question around college athletics right now is still unsettled: which athletes trying to gain more eligibility will actually get it. KU coach Lance Leipold said that after arriving ahead of the 2021 season, he’s learned not to be shocked by much anymore. The sport keeps changing, and he said he hopes eventually some kind of normal rhythm can take hold.
For now, Kansas is monitoring the situation rather than treating the roster as completely finished.
“I haven’t seen all of the extra names, I’ve just seen a couple of the court cases,” said Leipold, who was asked about potentially adding someone through the transfer portal. “We continue to monitor the situation.
Is it a possibility? It could be.
Again, like a lot of things, you get mixed reviews if this is going to stay. And if you do add - like, we were talking to compliance.
I think you saw it in basketball, like a year or so ago, guys come from the G League and they play and the next thing then they can’t play. I don’t - nobody wants to really get into that situation of where that’s at.”
That caution makes sense given the calendar. If Kansas does add someone, there won’t be much runway to get that player comfortable before the schedule turns nasty in a hurry. Missouri comes to Lawrence on Sept. 11, and then the Jayhawks head overseas for a Sept. 19 matchup with Arizona State in London.
Still, if the right player is available at a spot where Kansas needs depth, the staff could decide it’s worth the gamble - provided everything checks out.
The Jayhawks are trying to rebound after back-to-back 5-7 seasons in 2024 and 2025. That came after bowl trips in 2022 and 2023, so the program is looking to get back on track while continuing to build off-field momentum too, including the ongoing renovations to David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
In Other News...
Kansas Fans May Be Overlooking A Freshman Bill Self Could Trust
Kansas wing rotation is already drawing attention for the 2026-27 season, and Trent Perry is the kind of freshman who could end up mattering sooner than some fans expect. The four-star recruit is projected to come in as a second-unit piece, but his size and defensive energy give him a path to the floor even with other wings competing for minutes.
Perry is still viewed as more of a long-term developmental prospect than an immediate star, which is part of why he may be easy to overlook in the early buzz around the roster. Still, players who defend, bring physical tools and fit what Bill Self likes to ask from his wings often find a way into the mix, and Perry has the traits to grow into a starting-caliber piece down the line. [Read more 🡒]
AJ Storr Just Became A Reminder Of Kansas' Portal Problem
AJ Storrs latest move is another snapshot of how quickly the transfer portal has changed roster building, and how often Kansas has found itself in the middle of it. The former Jayhawks guard has committed to UNLV for his final collegiate season after receiving an extra year of eligibility through NCAA rulings, extending a college journey that has already taken him through four previous programs.
For Kansas, Storr is less a one-off than a reminder of the challenge that comes with portal-heavy roster construction. He arrived in Lawrence with plenty of buzz, had a disappointing season there, then revived his stock at Ole Miss before choosing to keep moving on. Now headed to UNLV for his fifth college stop, he leaves behind another example of how difficult it can be for even a blue-blood program to turn short-term talent into long-term continuity. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Turns To A New Frontcourt Option After Missing On Kohler
After missing out on Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler, Kansas has turned its attention to another frontcourt option in FIU transfer forward Hamed Larry Olayinka. The 6-foot-9 big man has become a name to watch in the portal after drawing interest from Kansas, Ole Miss, USC and UAB, giving the Jayhawks another experienced option to consider as they continue sorting out their roster needs.
Olayinka brings production and versatility from a stop at FIU, where he averaged 10 points and 6.7 rebounds last season, and his path through multiple schools gives him the kind of background staffs often value in portal recruiting. He is also eligible for another season after being granted an additional year through a preliminary injunction, which keeps the market moving and leaves Kansas still working to see whether it can land the frontcourt piece it needs. [Read more 🡒]