Kansas Showing Interest in Former Michigan State Star Jaxon Kohler

Kansas basketball could benefit from the recent NCAA eligibility ruling that granted an injunction to Class of 2022 recruits to play another year.

Michigan State forward Jaxon Kohler (0) reacts after getting fouled by Connecticut guard Solo Ball (1) during the second half of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball East Regional game against UConn at Capital One Arena in Washington DC on Friday, March 27, 2026. Michigan State lost the game 67-63. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While Kansas awaits eligibility rulings on Melvin Council Jr. and Mihailo Mušikić, the Jayhawks could also benefit from the recent NCAA ruling that granted countless Class of 2022 athletes an additional year of collegiate eligibility.

It feels inevitable that Bill Self will add one more big man to round out the roster, given Mušikić's eligibility uncertainty and Christian Reeves' vague recovery timeline from shoulder surgery. As of yesterday, there's a new name Jayhawk fans will want to keep an eye on.

According to CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein, former Michigan State standout Jaxon Kohler is looking to play a fifth year of college basketball. A return to the Spartans remains a possibility, but his top three options are now Kansas, BYU, and Kentucky.

Jaxon Kohler tells me that he will explore a return to college for a fifth year and is receiving interest from the following programs:

Kansas
Kentucky
BYU

Kohler averaged 12.5 PPG and 8.9 RPG last season at Michigan State.

A return to East Lansing is also possible.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 1, 2026

Assuming Kohler enters the transfer portal, which feels like all but a sure thing at this point, he'd immediately become one of the most coveted players on the market and a welcome late-offseason addition.

Kohler had his best season yet in East Lansing as a senior, averaging 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds while posting an outstanding 50.0%/38.9%/86.9% slash line. He developed into an excellent outside shooter over his final two years in college and could serve as a stretch five for the Jayhawks at 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds.

He declared for the 2026 NBA Draft but went undrafted, later playing for the Utah Jazz in the NBA Summer League on an Exhibit 10 deal. Kohler is also a native of American Fork, Utah, which explains the connection to BYU.

Of the three schools reportedly in his top group, both Kansas and BYU are in dire need of another center. As mentioned, a return to Michigan State shouldn't be ruled out, considering he spent all four years of his college career there.

Unlike KU's current centers, Kohler can step out beyond the 3-point line and give the offense another level of scoring while remaining an excellent rebounder. The smoke around Paul Mbiya becoming the Jayhawks' starting center is real, but that doesn't mean the coaching staff should rule out adding one more player to compete for the job.