The Kansas Jayhawks have the opportunity to build out some additional depth and bring on valuable talent by making further use of the transfer portal moving forward.
And, if they're unsuccessful in capturing sought-after recruit Tyran Stokes out of Rainier Beach (Seattle, WA.), he could be the perfect backup plan.
They could accomplish just that by bringing former Baylor guard Tounde Yessoufou into the fold. The Jayhawks will have some competition, though, with the likes of Kentucky and UCLA among the teams linked to Yessoufou at this stage of his transfer portal entry.
What Tounde Yessoufou brings to the table for the Kansas Jayhawks
Yessoufou is one to get to the scoreboard quickly, averaging 17.8 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 46.5% from the field as just a freshman. It should be noted that he has some area for improvement, though, especially where three-point attempts from afar are concerned.
He's only been successful on 29.3 percent of his attempts in that performance category.
There's more to like about his game than to not to, though. Yessoufou brings a lot of upside to the roster in Kansas and can be an asset, even if the Jayhawks cannot land Tyran Stokes. He's a prospect quite familiar with the Jayhawks, who made the cut for the four-star during his high school recruitment.
The Jayhawks were just one of multiple suitors after the highly touted Yessoufou, joining Arizona, Arizona State, Baylor, Kentucky, Tennessee, UCLA, UConn, USC and Washington in his final top 10. Some of those same teams will continue to pursue him in the portal now that he's a college prospect as well.
"I was happy to see Bill Self himself come watch my game and I was super excited," Yessoufou told 247 Sports during his high school recruitment. "I really don't get caught up in emotion. I just stick to my plan, keep playing and just do me. Basketball was built in Kansas. The fanbase is crazy, Bill Self is an amazing coach. I want to go over there and see the campus, learn and all of that."
Yessoufou was one of the best prospects in the nation for the 2025 cycle, with 247 Sports listing him as the No. 26 overall prospect nationally, as well as the No. 8 prospect in the country at his prospective position and the No. 2 rising senior in California.
What the Kansas Jayhawks have accomplished in the transfer portal so far
The Jayhawks have not secured Yessoufou yet, and whether or not they're ultimately able to remains to be seen. But there are players Kansas has been successful in bringing on via the portal so far.
They have only done light work to this point, adding former Utah power forward Keanu Dawes and point guard Leroy Blyden Jr. out of Toledo.
"At 6-foot-9, he is extremely athletic, and his skill set is improving," Self said of Dawes. "He's a four-man who can stretch the defense... We think he can guard one through five and see him as an immediate impact player for us."
Blyden Jr. also is considered a big gain for Kansas after he finished out his most recent season with an average of 16.4 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.3 blocks per game.
It will be interesting to see how Kansas continues to use the portal, and how things ultimately pan out with the race for Stokes and Yessoufou.
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