Freshman power forward has just become so much more exciting after latest quote

The Kansas Jayhawks are dealing with a nigh-on entirely new team after last season’s 24-11 campaign, which ended in a heartbreaking 67-65 loss at the hands of Dylan Darling and St. John’s. 

In come 11 new players through both the high school and NCAA Transfer Portal ranks, with the possibility of a 12th in overseas big man Mihailo Mušikić soon on his way. 

Of the 11 confirmed players, freshman 4-star power forward Davion Adkins has recently been making waves. 

Adkins comes to the Jayhawks ranked as the nation’s No. 75 overall player in the class of 2026, standing at 6-foot-9, weighing in at 225 pounds, tetering between the power forward and center.

After spending time at Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy, Adkins spent his final season at the esteemed Prolific Prep located in Napa, Calif. The same school that produced both Darryn Peterson and Tre White. 

Prolific Prep has also produced the likes of Yves Missi, Gary Trent Jr. Mouhamed Gueye and Adem Bona, all players who have made the jump to the NBA. 

Legendary Kansas assistant coach Norm Roberts recently appeared on the “Field of 68,” where he spoke glowingly of Adkins. 

“He's got great upside”

“He is a typical Kansas forward that we would take, and we would say, ‘watch, by the end of his Sophomore year, he's a heck of a player,’ and he’s a junior and he's a really good player. That's what he's going to be because he's got great upside.”

Adam Finkelstein, the Director of Scouting at 247Sports, profiled Adkins just over a year ago; here is an excerpt from his report. 

“Adkins is one of the most naturally talented frontcourt prospects in the class of 2026 and while his tools have been glaring for some time now, he's just starting to turn potential into production at a more consistent rate.”

How often will Adkins see the floor in year one?

Of all the incoming transfers, power forward Keanu Dawes is probably the only one who you can nail as a starter right now. The rest either have position battles or have to find their balance in order to become a consistent starter. It doesn’t hurt that Dawes has also already spent two seasons in the Big 12 with the Utah Utes. 

In Dawes’ final season at Utah, the former Rice transfer averaged 12.5 points, 2.2 assists and 8.8 rebounds on a strong 54.6% field goal rate, which includes a 31.7% mark from beyond the arc. 

The addition of Dawes does mean that Adkins will likely be taking a backseat role in his freshman season, but being able to work with Dawes will make an immeasurable impact.

Hypothetically, Adkins could slot in at center, but with Christian Reeves’ arrival and Paul Mbiya’s retention, it looks unlikely he will be getting many minutes there either. 

However, none of this is necessarily a bad thing; not every player is bound for the one-and-done route. The biggest task for the Jayhawks is to now entice Adkins to remain with the program past this season and become what Roberts believes he can. In the at-times transactional NCAA, that may be easier said than done.

More Kansas Basketball News

• Insane Big 12 stat leaves door ajar for Kansas to reclaim conference title
• Ranking Kansas basketball's 3 biggest surprising recruiting wins since 2020
• Ranking the 5 biggest losses Kansas has suffered in the NCAA transfer portal
• Mihailo Musikic will bring size and experience to Kansas if deemed eligible

This article was originally published on throughthephog.com as Freshman power forward has just become so much more exciting after latest quote.