One Kansas Basketball Freshman Who Jayhawk Fans Are Underrating

The 2026-27 Kansas basketball team will be a very freshman-dependent group. A lot of the Jayhawks' success lies on Tyran Stokes' shoulders, while 5-star point guard Taylen Kinney will compete for a starting spot in the backcourt.

Those two freshmen obviously deserve all the recognition they're receiving, but there's one Jayhawk who's flying under the radar. Former Link Academy standout Trent Perry could quietly make a name for himself with the second unit this year.

The 4-star wing from Texas possesses physical traits that you don't get in every prospect. He stands at 6-foot-5 with a lengthy 7-foot-2 wingspan, and all it takes is a couple minutes of his high school film to see his impressive vertical, which he uses to attack the offensive glass and throw down dunks.

Despite some limitations as a shooter, Perry has the type of game that head coach Bill Self should quickly learn to love. Everyone knows that the quickest way for a freshman to see the court at KU is to play gritty defense, and Perry's relentless motor allows him to make an impact through his energy and effort.

Coming out of the grassroots program MoKan Elite, Perry joins former Jayhawks like Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun to come through the AAU program. Those are obviously two names you'd want to be associated with.

The only thing potentially standing in Perry's way is the players ahead of him. KU is expected to start Stokes every night alongside Utah transfer Keanu Dawes, meaning Perry will have to compete with second-year wing Kohl Rosario, Radford transfer Dennis Parker Jr., and fellow freshman Luke Barnett for minutes on the wing.

While it's highly unlikely Perry averages anything more than 10 minutes per game, he should have a role on this KU squad if he is as good as advertised. He's viewed as a long-term developmental piece, but the noise surrounding Stokes and Kinney has quieted some of the hype around his game.

It may not happen from day one, but Perry is going to make an impact at some point this season. And if he sticks around Lawrence for a considerable amount of time, there's no reason why he can't develop into a starting-caliber player.