Kansas missed on one transfer frontcourt target, but another name has quickly entered the conversation.
Michigan State big man Jaxon Kohler, one of the first players Kansas was tied to after the Colorado judge’s preliminary injunction to Class of 2022 athletes, is now off the board. The stretch big man had looked like a strong fit for the Jayhawks as they work through an uncertain situation at center, but he committed yesterday to BYU for his final season of eligibility.
On that same day, Kansas turned its attention to another portal option: FIU forward Hamed Olayinka, better known as Larry. According to 247 Sports recruiting analyst Dushawn London, KU has reached out to Olayinka, along with Ole Miss, USC and UAB.
Olayinka, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward, has bounced through four schools in four years, but the injunction has given him an extra season. He spent the 2025-26 season at FIU and earned the first full-time starting role of his career, putting up 10.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in 32 starts.
The forward’s best work came on the offensive glass, where he averaged 2.9 offensive rebounds per game and posted five double-doubles last season. He also blocked at least 1.2 shots per game in every Division I season he’s played, giving him the kind of rim protection Kansas could use with Flory Bidunga now at Louisville.
Olayinka’s path also has a Kansas connection. He began his college career at Garden City Community College, about six hours west of Lawrence, and could become the next player to go from Garden City to KU, joining 1993 Final Four standout Darrin Hancock in that category.
Offensively, Olayinka is limited from the perimeter, having gone just 2-for-16 from three-point range in his career. But his value is easier to see inside: defense, rebounding and activity around the rim. He may not carry the same name value as Kohler, but he would likely come at a much lower NIL cost while still giving Kansas help in the paint.
For now, Olayinka is a name to watch closely as KU continues to sort through its frontcourt options, especially if a visit to Lawrence starts to take shape.
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 Just Made A Move That Says Everything About This New Era
Kansas Athletics has added another front-office style voice to its operation, appointing Sam Strantz as Executive Director of Front Office Strategy. Strantz comes to Lawrence after working with the Houston Rockets as Senior Team Counsel, and his new job will center on cap management and strategic advisement, a sign of how seriously Kansas is leaning into a more modern, management-driven approach.
The move also adds another layer to the way Kansas is organizing itself for what comes next, blending legal, administrative and roster-building thinking in a role that feels more common in pro sports than in college athletics. With leadership and Strantz both speaking about the hire, the message is clear enough even before the details settle in: Kansas is building this era with a different kind of infrastructure, and this appointment fits squarely into that plan. [Read more 🡒]