Why Kansas Fans Should Be Excited About Transfer Addition Leroy Blyden Jr.

Mar 13, 2026; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toledo Rockets guard Leroy Blyden Jr. (2) looks to pass as Massachusetts Minutemen guard Danny Carbuccia (0) defends during the first half at Rocket Arena Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Kansas' second addition out of the transfer portal this offseason was former Toledo guard Leroy Blyden Jr., who earned All-MAC honors and won the conference's Rookie of the Year award as a freshman. The Detroit native averaged 16.4 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.0 rebounds on excellent 46.1%/40.7%/84.6% shooting splits.

While Blyden is considered one of the top combo guards on the open market according to many metrics, some Jayhawk fans have expressed concerns about him. Many believe he was the coaching staff's secondary target behind VCU transfer Terrence Hill Jr., who ultimately committed to Tennessee over KU.

Despite those concerns, Blyden is an excellent player who fans should be excited about. He brings a skill set that not many KU guards have had in recent years.

Why Kansas Fans Should Be Excited for Leroy Blyden Jr.

Although Blyden is a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, 170 pounds, he possesses lightning-quick speed from coast to coast and is an exceptional all-around offensive player. He attempted 5.6 threes per game at over a 40% clip, which should put some Jayhawk fans at ease after watching point guards like Dajuan Harris and Melvin Council Jr. struggle from beyond the arc in recent years.

A lot of the concern surrounding Blyden stems from the school he came from. He was a 3-star prospect out of high school and competed at a lower-tier mid-major, albeit in one of the better non-power conferences in the sport.

But in the modern era of college basketball, it doesn't necessarily matter where a player starts his career, but rather where he ends up due to the prominence of the transfer portal. Michigan's best player on its title-winning team was a transfer from UAB, while UConn's leading scorers during its 2023-24 championship run came from East Carolina and Loyola Maryland.

Mar 14, 2026; Cleveland, OH, USA; Toledo Rockets guard Leroy Blyden Jr. (2) celebrates after hitting a three point basket against the Akron Zips during the first half of the men’s Mid-American Conference Championship at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

It's more difficult for Bill Self to develop players when most guys are one- or two-year rentals, but he has a track record of taking underrated guards and turning them into high-level contributors. As people on social media have pointed out, KU legends Frank Mason III and Devonte' Graham were committed to Towson and Appalachian State, respectively, before enrolling at Kansas.

Blyden was attracting interest from top programs around the country and could end up being one of the most impactful portal additions of the cycle. If he puts in the work, he has the potential to be an All-Big 12-caliber player and possibly Kansas' second-leading scorer if Tyran Stokes ultimately commits to the Jayhawks.

Overall, fans shouldn't look too deeply into Blyden coming from a mid-major program. His game tape tells you everything you need to know, that he has the tools to be a budding star at his new university.