Former Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn has joined Kansas as he seeks a sixth year of college eligibility. The 2021 high school recruit began practicing with the Jayhawks last week and will fill the roster spot left vacant by freshman guard Grant Mordini, who suffered a season-ending patellar tendon injury last month.
Kansas announced Kaufman-Renn’s signing on Monday. Coach Bill Self confirmed that Kaufman-Renn had enrolled in classes and joined practices as of Sunday. “He reached the national championship game, the Elite 8 and the Sweet 16 at Purdue and has been extremely well-drilled and well-coached,” Self said. “Even though it’s late in the process, because of his basketball IQ, we think his transition will be quicker than most put in the same circumstance.”
Kaufman-Renn’s collegiate career has spanned five seasons, although he has played in only four. He redshirted his first year and missed the entire 2021-22 season following a knee injury that required surgery. Since then, he developed into one of the top forwards in college basketball, averaging 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in the 2025-26 season at Purdue.
The 6-foot-6 forward is pursuing a rare sixth year of eligibility, a move that has drawn attention given the NCAA’s new age-based eligibility model. Under this system, Kaufman-Renn’s eligibility would have expired due to his five years on a college roster, despite playing only four seasons. His situation is further complicated by the fact that he was drafted 59th overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. NCAA rules state that seniors who have exhausted their eligibility are automatically draft-eligible and do not have to declare, in contrast to players who declare and thus forfeit remaining eligibility.
Earlier this month, Kaufman-Renn secured a preliminary injunction against the NCAA, according to online court records. This legal development allows him to continue pursuing additional eligibility, though the final outcome remains unconfirmed.
Joining Kaufman-Renn at Kansas are Tre White and Melvin Council Jr., both of whom played for the Jayhawks last season and are seeking fifth years of eligibility. If granted, all three would likely start alongside Tyran Stokes, a potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NBA Draft, and Keanu Dawes.
Kansas has bolstered its roster with these experienced players just weeks before the season opener against Fordham on November 2. The Jayhawks also face Kentucky in the Champions Classic early in the season, a matchup that will test the impact of these late additions.
Whether Kaufman-Renn will actually take the court this season remains unclear. His presence would raise Kansas’s profile, with some projecting him as a preseason All-American. Meanwhile, the Jayhawks await confirmation on his eligibility and playing status as the season approaches.
According to CBS.
