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Huge Commits Have Kansas Poised for Top-Ranked 2026 Class

Originally posted on Last Word On Sports | By Neil Adler | Last updated Oct 10, 2025 6:58 PM ET

Over the past two weeks, the Kansas Jayhawks have landed a trio of 2026 verbal commits. While other elite programs will also continue to add 2026 verbal pledges, Kansas likely isn’t done in this class, either. When all is said and done, the Big 12 Conference powerhouse is poised to have the top-ranked 2026 cycle.

Huge Commits Have Kansas Poised For Top-Ranked 2026 Class

On Oct. 5, the Jayhawks secured a commitment from four-star center Davion Adkins. The 6-foot-9 Adkins is a senior at Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., which is expected to be one of the top high school programs around the country in the upcoming 2025-26 season. Adkins is a top-30 national prospect in the 2026 class, according to the industry-generated 247Sports Composite, along with the No. 3 center.

At the beginning of October, four-star small forward Trent Perry pledged to Kansas. The 6-foot-5 Perry ranks inside the top-80 nationally, according to ESPN. He is a senior at another tremendous high school program, the Link Academy (Branson, Mo.).

Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball head coach Bill Self reacts from the bench during the first half against Iowa State in the Big-12 men’s basketball showdown at Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday, Jan. 15, 2025 in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In the biggest recruiting win for head coach Bill Self and his coaching staff, the Jayhawks got on the board with their 2026 cycle late last month as elite five-star point guard Taylen Kinney committed to Kansas over several finalists– Arkansas, Kentucky, Indiana, Louisville and Oregon. The 6-foot-1 Kinney is one of the top players in the Atlanta-based professional league Overtime Elite. He is deemed a top-15 national prospect and the No. 1 point guard in 2026 by 247Sports.

With Possible Re-class, Kansas Eyes No. 1 Cycle in 2026

There’s more for Kansas. On October 3, 2027 five-star small forward Javon Bardwell verbally pledged to the Jayhawks. The chatter is that the 6-foot-6 Bardwell is eyeing a possible re-classification –from 2027 to the 2026 cycle. Bardwell is a top-15 national prospect in the 2027 class, according to 247Sports.

Bardwell goes to PHH Prep in Phoenix. Should he ultimately jump to the 2026 cycle, that would further position Kansas to have the top-ranked 2026 class. Currently, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite has the Jayhawks at No. 2 nationally in its 2026 team rankings, trailing only Missouri. The Tigers also have three verbal commits, although two of them are five-star prospects. Kansas, on the other hand, has one five-star pledge and a pair of four-star commits.

Kansas Likely Isn’t Done in 2026

The Jayhawks have three commits in the 2026 cycle, and a fourth could come if Bardwell re-classifies. However, Kansas isn’t necessarily done in this cycle. Not too long ago, five-star small forward Tyran Stokes put the Jayhawks in his top five. The 6-foot-7 Stokes, out of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., is the No. 1 national prospect in the 2026 class. That being said, fellow finalist Kentucky has buzz in his recruitment.

Other 2026 prospects for Kansas fans to monitor that could potentially commit to the Jayhawks at some point in the future include five-star guard/small forward Alex Constanza, four-star center Josh Irving, five-star small forward Maximo Adams and five-star center Ethan Taylor.

Of course, Kansas won’t prevail for all those 2026 recruiting targets. Yet, if the Jayhawks can prevail for one or two more high school players, Kansas will be a significant contender for the country’s No. 1 2026 class.

This article first appeared on Last Word On Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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