LAWRENCE — Over the course of the offseason, Kansas basketball has been reshaping its roster as it prepares for the 2025-26 season.

The Jayhawks have signed a trio of transfer portal guards in Jayden Dawson (Loyola-Chicago), Tre White (Illinois), and Melvin Council Jr. (St. Bonaventure), as those who’ve transferred away have left spots to fill.

Coach Bill Self and his coaching staff, which recently saw assistant coach Norm Roberts announce his retirement, have continued to recruit more potential additions to the team. They’re all set to join a group that’ll be led by a high-profile freshman guard in Darryn Peterson, and a forward in Flory Bidunga who’s back after a promising freshman year.

But after a disappointing 2024-25 season that ended with a round of 64 exit from the NCAA tournament, has enough been done to set Kansas up as a top 25 team to start next season? If so, where might the Jayhawks start? How much would some more noteworthy additions help KU’s case?

Kansas would open here at No. 17. That would be behind a collection of fellow Big 12 Conference programs in No. 1 Houston, No. 5 BYU, No. 6 Texas Tech, No. 10 Arizona, and No. 12 Iowa State. Winning a Big 12 title next season would be challenging regardless, but this helps outline just how much.

Kansas would open here at No. 19. Ahead of the Jayhawks in the Big 12 would be No. 3 Houston, No. 5 Texas Tech, No. 11 Iowa State, No. 14 Arizona, and No. 17 BYU. As KU recruits to improve its depth, a window remains to be ranked higher, but that doesn’t mean other teams aren’t working to improve in their ways, too.

Kansas would open here at No. 21. The Jayhawks would follow a familiar group of Big 12 teams in No. 4 Houston, No. 5 BYU, No. 8 Texas Tech, No. 12 Arizona, and No. 13 Iowa State. Of the three projections, although there’s a lot of time between now and the first preseason poll, this has KU in the most danger of not being a top 25 team when next season begins.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.