KU Jayhawks’ Jayden Dawson enters transfer portal, intends to apply for waiver
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Jayden Dawson entered the transfer portal while seeking a fifth-season medical waiver.
- Waiver targets his 2022–23 Loyola freshman season, when injury ended his year.
- KU has nine scholarships available for portal additions as several players enter.
Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball player Jayden Dawson has decided to enter the NCAA transfer portal while applying for a medical waiver for a fifth season of college basketball, The Star confirmed Thursday.
Dawson, a 6-foot-5 senior guard from Omaha, Nebraska, told The Star that the waiver request will pertain to his first of three seasons at Loyola/Chicago (2022-23).
During his first season out of Omaha Central High School, he played in 14 of 31 Loyola games off the bench before missing the final 14 because of an injury. He averaged 3.6 points and 0.4 assists in 14.1 minutes per game that year.
“I played 14 games total (as a freshman),” Dawson told The Star, “but two games I played on a broken hand without knowing it was broken.”
Dawson did not note any possible transfer destinations. On3.com’s Pete Nakos first reported the news of Dawson entering the portal.
After playing three seasons at Loyola, Dawson averaged just 2.1 points per game in 24 appearances at KU this past season. He logged an average of 9.6 minutes per contest. He hurt his hand while dunking during warmpus before KU beat Notre Dame at Las Vegas in late November.
His season high for points was seven (with two steals) during a Nov. 11, 2025 game against Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Here’s the list of KU players with remaining eligibility who have said they have entered or will enter the portal: Samis Calderon, Flory Bidunga, Bryson Tiller, Paul Mbiya, Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell. Also, Darryn Peterson has completed his one-and-done season at KU.
That means the Jayhawks’ current list of returning scholarship players is Corbin Allen and Kohl Rosario. Will Thengvall also could return and retain his walk-on status.
KU has a recruiting class of incoming freshmen Taylen Kinney, Davion Adkins, Luke Barnett and Trent Perry. The No. 1-ranked player in the class of 2026, Tyran Stokes, has an official list of KU, Kentucky and Oregon.
KU has nine scholarships available to give to portal players.
