Kansas fans have spent much of the offseason trying to solve the puzzle of Melvin Council Jr.’s future. But there’s another name that could reshape the Jayhawks’ lineup if the NCAA eligibility mess breaks the right way: Tre White.
If White is back in Lawrence, Kansas suddenly has a starting five that looks loaded with length, versatility and enough athleticism to make things uncomfortable for opponents. The projected group: Leroy Blyden Jr., Tyran Stokes, Tre White, Keanu Dawes and Paul Mbiya.
That lineup brings a lot of size to the table, maybe even more than most teams would want, but it still fits. Stokes is the headliner, and for good reason.
The No. 1 recruit in this year’s freshman class brings a 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame, but his game goes well beyond that. He can handle the ball like a point forward and help run the offense alongside Blyden.
White would fill the kind of role every good team wants on the wing. He’d give Kansas a legitimate 3-and-D presence, someone who can stretch the floor, rebound, and take the toughest perimeter assignment on the other side. Dawes adds a different flavor entirely - a high-flying forward who can ignite the crowd with dunks and impact the game in a bunch of different ways.
There’s even a version of this lineup that gets smaller and more flexible. If Kansas wants more playmaking on the floor, Dawes could slide to center, with Taylen Kinney stepping in for Mbiya.
That wouldn’t be out of character for Bill Self, either. Dawes has been one of Power 5 basketball’s best rebounders over the last two seasons, and Kansas has already shown it’s willing to go that route.
Self started KJ Adams at center during the 2022-23 season, even though Adams averaged fewer than five rebounds per game.
The eligibility piece is where things get messy. White played at four different colleges over four seasons, but he never redshirted or competed at another level, which could put him in line for the blanket waiver if the court injunction holds up.
The question mark is his NBA Summer League stint. That’s the detail hanging over the whole conversation.
Locked On Jayhawks podcast host Derek Johnson recently said White’s Exhibit 10 deal with Miami was only agreed to verbally and never signed on paper. Since signing an Exhibit 10 contract is supposed to make a player immediately ineligible, Johnson’s claim would matter a lot - but it hasn’t been confirmed by any major outlets.
So for now, the whole thing remains up in the air, including whether White would even want to come back to Lawrence after his strong Summer League showing.
Still, if the pieces somehow line up, Kansas could be looking at a very dangerous season with White in the mix.
In Other News...
Bill Self Revealed What Brought Him Back To Kansas Sideline
Bill Selfs return to the Kansas sideline came after a stretch that forced him to think hard about life beyond coaching. Following the 2026 NCAA Tournament, health concerns pushed him to briefly weigh retirement, a rare pause for a coach who has spent so much of his career defining the Jayhawks. Now, with his health in a good place, Self is back and getting ready to guide a roster that will look plenty different when the new season begins.
The decision was not made quickly, and it followed a series of medical conversations that gave Self a clearer picture of where he stood. Those talks helped settle the question of whether stepping away was necessary, and he ultimately chose to keep coaching at Kansas. For a program that has long followed his lead, the bigger story now is how he handles a retooled team while leaving the uncertainty of this offseason behind him. [Read more 🡒]
Melvin Council's Kansas Future Now Hinges On One Critical Decision
Melvin Council Jr.s path at Kansas is now tied to a legal fight that could reshape his college basketball clock. The former junior college guard is suing the NCAA, arguing that his time in junior college should not count against his NCAA eligibility, and Kansas is watching closely as Bill Selfs program waits to see whether Council will ultimately be cleared to suit up.
The next major step comes Sept. 4, when a hearing on Councils motion for a temporary injunction is scheduled. If he gets the ruling he is seeking, he could be allowed to play while the lawsuit continues, leaving Kansas with a potentially important piece for the 2026-27 season and Councils future hanging on the court and in the courtroom at once. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas Lineup Could Look Very Different If Tre White Comes Back
Kansas is already thinking ahead to a roster that could look a whole lot different if Tre White finds his way back into college basketball. Recent court rulings involving players from the 2022 recruiting class have opened the door to the possibility of an extra year of eligibility, and that has naturally led to some lineup speculation in Lawrence. In that scenario, White would be part of a group that could also feature Tyran Stokes and give the Jayhawks a very different look on both ends of the floor.
But the situation is far from settled, and the uncertainty is what makes it worth watching. Whites path back would depend on temporary eligibility relief, and his NBA Summer League involvement plus a reported Exhibit 10 agreement with the Miami Heat could complicate things further. For now, Kansas can only keep one eye on a possible return and another on the reality that no official decision has been made. [Read more 🡒]