See where KU’s hoops transfers, and some former Jayhawks, rank on top 100 lists
Future Kansas Jayhawks basketball guard/small forward Tre White ranks No. 63 on ESPN.com’s list of the top 100 players in the transfer portal class of 2025.
White, a 6-foot-7, 210-pound senior-to-be who played last season at Illinois, also was accorded a No. 69 ranking in a top 100 transfer list compiled by 247sports.com.
Meanwhile, Jayden Dawson, a 6-4, 195-pound senior-to-be combo guard out of Loyola Chicago, who also is headed to KU, is ranked No. 73 overall by 247sports.com. He is not currently included in ESPN’s list of the top 100 transfers.
The transfer rankings will change as the portal process continues this offseason.
KU’s two-player class of Dawson and White currently is ranked No. 55 nationally by 247sports.com. With a roster limit of 14 set for 2025-26, the Jayhawks, who have nine players on the roster, will be able to add up to five additional players, if they so desire.
Melvin Council Jr., a 6-4 senior-to-be from St. Bonaventure, was on campus Monday for his first day of a campus visit. Xaivian Lee, a 6-4 senior-to-be from Princeton, visited KU last weekend.
A starter, White averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for the Illini in 2024-25. He hit 32.9% of his 3-point attempts.
“White has now been a starter and consistent producer at three different schools: USC, Louisville and Illinois. Over the course of three years, he has averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds, while making just about 30% of his 3-point attempts,” wrote Jeff Borzello of ESPN.com.
Noted Isaac Trotter of 247sports.com: “When White keeps it simple, he can be very effective. He made money as a sharp cutter in Illinois’ 5-out scheme and has the ability to go get a bucket for himself from anywhere inside the arc. White has a knack to get to the foul line with creative fakes. White is a good athlete who doubles as a serviceable defender and isn’t afraid to stick his nose on the glass. He’s not a great shooter but defenses have to at least respect him which creates space for everyone else. White is just a vet who is good at a little bit of everything.”
After signing White, KU coach Bill Self said: “We’ve known him a long time and it’s come full circle since he committed to us as a high school freshman (ultimately attending USC one year, Louisville one year and Illinois one year). He’s got good size at 6-7 and can play multiple spots. We feel he’s an immediate major contributor, a playmaker, and with his size can guard 1 through 4.”
Dawson averaged 13.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in 2024-25 at Loyola. The Omaha, Nebraska native hit 36.3% of his 3-point shot attempts.
Of Dawson, Trotter wrote: “He is one of the better movement shooters in this portal haul. Loyola ran him off a ton of handoffs and he was extremely effective letting it fly from deep in a flash. Dawson owns a sturdy 6-4 frame and should be a high-level floor-spacer both off the catch and off the bounce. Dawson doesn’t put a ton of pressure on the rim, but Self should have some fun dialing up some sets for Dawson to free from downtown or open up a counter because of the attention the Loyola transfer demands.”
KU coach Self said of Dawson: “He had an excellent year at Loyola. He’s got good size, plays any perimeter position and can shoot the ball.”
Former KU wing AJ Storr, who as of Monday had not yet picked a transfer destination, is ranked No. 49 in the current transfer class of 100 by 247sports.com and No. 54 by ESPN.com.
“Storr had a lost junior season at Kansas, but it’s hard to forget the moments of brilliance that he had at Wisconsin in 2023-24 when he looked like a potential next-level player,” wrote Trotter. “Storr offers a bit of appeal as a potential buy-low option for wing-needy teams who need a jolt of scoring. At his best, Storr can provide a 3-level scorer who can bulldoze his way to 15 points a night. But he’s never shown much promise as a playmaker and his attention to detail defensively is iffy at best. Storr is also well-traveled for a reason which could scare off some staffs, but the upside is clear.”
ESPN’s Borzello wrote: “Even after a bad season in Lawrence, it’s hard to drop Storr from a top-five transfer to outside of the top 100. Can he regain his offensive production at Wisconsin or at least his shooting form at St. John’s? He averaged 6.1 points after going for 16.8 in 2023-24 at Wisconsin.”
Former KU wing Rylan Griffen is ranked No. 68 by 247sports.com and 79 by ESPN.com. He has not yet picked a school.
“Griffen averaged 11.2 points during his sophomore season at Alabama, making more than 39% of his 3-point attempts, but struggled in all facets of the game at Kansas this season. He averaged 5.9 points and shot just 30.1% from behind the arc,” wrote Borzello of ESPN.com.
Trotter wrote: “ It didn’t work out for Griffen at Kansas for a multitude of reasons, but he’s still got plenty of appeal as a bounceback candidate. The 6-6 wing is still a dangerous off-ball sniper who can make a couple reads in pick-and-rolls if given the chance. He has pockets where he can be an impactful on-ball defender, too. If Griffen returns to a pace-and-space system, he could certainly flirt with 40% from downtown on serious volume again.”
Former KU players with eligibility remaining who have entered the portal: Storr (undecided) Griffen (undecided), Rakease Passmore (undecided, ranked No.. 116 by 247sports.com), David “Diggy” Coit (Maryland, No. 230-rated by 247) and Zach Clemence (Texas A&M, unranked).
Former KU, DePaul and Grand Canyon player Tyon Grant-Foster is ranked No. 53 by ESPN.com and 95 by 247sports.com. He has not yet chosen a school. Former KU and TCU center Ernest Udeh, who is headed to Miami, is No. 83 by 247sports.com and No. 87 by ESPN.com.
This story was originally published April 15, 2025 at 9:17 AM.
