What Elmarko Jackson Transferring Means for Kansas’ Backcourt

Today marks the first official day that the transfer portal is open, but several Kansas basketball players had already announced their intentions to test the market beforehand. The latest of those was Elmarko Jackson, who revealed he would be transferring away from the university following three seasons in Lawrence.

A 2023 McDonald's All-American, Jackson entered his freshman year with high expectations but endured a severely underwhelming debut campaign. After tearing his patellar tendon last offseason, he wasn't much better in 2025-26 as a redshirt sophomore.

Although Jackson was not expected to play a major role on next year's Jayhawk team, his departure creates yet another hole for the roster. It is one the coaching staff will certainly have a difficult time addressing.

Jackson's Departure Creates Yet Another Hole Bill Self Must Fill

The only guards currently on the roster are Taylen Kinney, Jamari McDowell, Kohl Rosario, and Luke Barnett. Just two of those players have collegiate experience, and neither played a significant role on this year's squad.

Either way, no one from that group, aside from projected starting point guard Kinney, is a true ball handler capable of facilitating an offense. Jackson was presumably going to compete for a spot in the starting five next season and serve as a sixth man off the bench as a secondary ball-handler.

Now that he is likely out of the picture, Kinney's chances of starting next year are greatly improved. Even if KU decides to pursue a proven point guard on the open market, he'd likely serve more as a score-first two guard in the rotation.

Nothing Jackson provided was particularly flashy, but he showed some positive traits such as defensive intensity and athleticism. Jackson also had a knack for getting to the free-throw line and helped spearhead impressive victories over schools like Tennessee in the Players Era Festival and TCU in the Big 12 Tournament.

Most of Coach Self's teams feature some type of backup point guard playing 15 to 20 minutes off the bench each night, so that will be an archetype he has to target in the transfer portal. The offense clearly needs someone who can slow the pace in the half-court and create his own shot while also developing opportunities for teammates.

KU fans may not have appreciated everything Jackson did during his time at the university, but at this rate, it feels like Kansas is starting almost completely from scratch. From what we've seen in past years, that hasn't always worked out for the program.

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