McDonald's All-American MVP Darryn Peterson shares 3-word reaction to Kansas Jayhawks' latest transfer portal move 

The Kansas Jayhawks just got a major boost with the addition of Loyola-Chicago transfer guard Jayden Dawson, and it’s catching attention across the basketball world.

McDonald's All-American MVP Darryn Peterson echoed the excitement felt by Jayhawks fans, as Dawson brings impressive numbers — 13.9 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game this past season. The 6-foot-4 junior will add explosive scoring and energy to a Kansas team looking to make a deep run next season.

Peterson wished Dawson and kept it simple but powerful:

"gettin to it 💯."

Image via Ig@tiptonedits

Jayden Dawson, a 6-foot-4 guard from Omaha, Nebraska, is headed to Kansas after a standout junior campaign at Loyola-Chicago. Dawson, who started all 32 games for the Ramblers last season, earned second-team All-Atlantic 10 honors.

His top performance came in the second round of the NIT, when he dropped a career-best 35 points in a 77–76 win over San Francisco to send Loyola to the quarterfinals at Gentile Arena.

Following the Ramblers’ NIT semifinal loss to Chattanooga at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Dawson entered the transfer portal. He comes from Adams Central High School in Hastings, Nebraska, and has one year of eligibility left.

Kansas, coming off a 21–13 season that ended with a first-round NCAA Tournament loss to Arkansas, is facing a major rebuild. The Jayhawks are losing their top four scorers—Hunter Dickinson, KJ Adams, Zeke Mayo and Dajuan Harris—all to graduation. Additionally, Rylan Griffen, AJ Storr and Flory Bidunga have entered the portal.

Kansas will now look to build around incoming five-star plus guard Darryn Peterson, ranked No. 3 in the 2025 class by On3, while adding proven talent like Dawson through the portal.

Kansas eyes backcourt rebuild as Bill Self reflects on postseason exits

After consecutive early NCAA Tournament exits, Kansas coach Bill Self acknowledged the need to reassess how the program constructs its roster moving forward.

“It’s a fair question,” Self said. “But probably an unrealistic one too. We’ve had few down years. Injuries really hurt us the last two postseasons, but this year, that wasn’t the issue. Our roster just wasn’t built like the best teams in the country.”

Kansas ended the 2024–25 season with a 21–13 record and is now reloading through the transfer portal. Dawson, a former Omaha Central standout, brings 701 career points, 140 made threes and 47 starts in 72 games to KU.

Kansas is also targeting more backcourt help. Sam Houston State’s Lamar Wilkerson, a two-time All-Conference USA guard who averaged 20.5 points and shot 44.5% from deep, has spoken with KU’s staff.

Additionally, LaSalle’s Deuce Jones, the A-10 Rookie of the Year, remains on their radar after averaging 12.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists.