photo by: Chance Parker/Journal-World photo

Kansas freshman Jaden Hamm runs through drills during practice at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Eudora native Jaden Hamm, whose commitment in the class of 2023 represented an early bit of local recruiting success for Kansas under head coach Lance Leipold, is transferring after three years in the program.

Hamm will have two years left to play. The 6-foot-6, 250-pound tight end played in every game for KU in 2025, serving primarily on the kick-return unit at first but seeing increased playing time after injuries to DeShawn Hanika and Carson Bruhn. He finished the year with 26 snaps on offense and 78 on special teams, according to Pro Football Focus.

He had previously played in one combined game across his first two years with the Jayhawks, after initially committing to Arkansas coming out of Eudora High School.

Hamm did not record a stat over the course of his 13 total games outside of a kick return for two yards on Nov. 22 against Iowa State. The gradual additions of transfers like Hanika, Leyton Cure and Boden Groen, as well as the emergence of Bruhn in his redshirt freshman season, kept Hamm relatively low on the depth chart.

“I want to thank Coach Leipold, Coach (Matt Gildersleeve), Coach (Matt) Lubick and everyone involved in Kansas Football,” Hamm wrote in a post on X. “I couldn’t be more happy and appreciative for the past three years of my life and all the relationships I have built here.”

He added: “Jayhawk nation y’all will always have a special place in my heart and I appreciate everyone welcoming me with open arms.”

Hamm follows running back Johnny Thompson Jr. and linebacker JaCorey Stewart, among others, in entering the portal in recent days.

With Hanika and Groen having exhausted their eligibility, but Cure presumably returning via medical redshirt, Bruhn and Cure are now the incumbents at tight end for the Jayhawks, along with walk-on Quinton Conley. KU is bringing in a pair of well-regarded local signees in Kevin Sullivan and Jack Utz but will also have the opportunity to bolster the position via the transfer portal.