Trey Kaufman-Renn Signs With Kansas After a Judge Clears His Sixth Year

Photo: Purdue Sports. Trey Kaufman-Renn, Purdue Boilermakers forward.

Trey Kaufman-Renn signed with Kansas on Monday, the program announced, after a Clark County, Indiana, judge granted him a sixth year of eligibility on Oct. 9. Bill Self said the 6-foot-9 forward has enrolled, practiced with the Jayhawks as of Sunday, and will take the roster spot opened when freshman Grant Mordini suffered a season ending patellar tendon injury in practice last month.

The Minnesota Timberwolves took him at No. 59 in the 2026 NBA Draft. His lawyer told WAVE he has not signed a professional contract. The temporary restraining order that preceded the injunction recorded his uncontroverted testimony that the only pro opportunity identified to him was a G League spot at about $45,000 a year.

His Purdue numbers

As a junior in 2024-25, his best season, he averaged 20.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists and made the All-Big Ten first team. The Associated Press named him an All-America honorable mention that March. Last season those numbers settled at 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists. Per the Journal-World, he scored a game-winning tip-in against Texas in the Sweet 16 before Arizona ended Purdue in the Elite Eight.

Self's statement pointed to the national championship game, the Elite Eight, and the Sweet 16 at Purdue and called him "extremely well-drilled and well-coached." Self added, "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." Mordini is medically exempt from the roster limit through the Nov. 1 submission date under College Sports Commission rules, so the spot is open for this season.

The Journal-World notes he played power forward for much of his Purdue career, a spot where Kansas already has Keanu Dawes, Tyran Stokes, and Tre White. In 2024-25 he played frequently as an undersized center, and the paper wrote that taking that role at Kansas could ease the load on Christian Reeves and Paul Mbiya.

The court timeline

Kaufman-Renn spent five seasons at Purdue from 2021-26 and missed all of 2021-22 with a knee injury. He filed in late August seeking a sixth year under the NCAA's age based eligibility model. A temporary restraining order on Sept. 9 let him join a college roster while the injunction hearing waited. Special Judge Justin B. Mills granted the preliminary injunction on Oct. 9. The NCAA is expected to appeal, and the Journal-World notes the full text of the ruling is not yet public on the Indiana court site.

Jon Rothstein pointed out Monday that Kansas now has three players on the roster who received additional eligibility through court orders: Kaufman-Renn, Tre White, and Melvin Council. The recruiting class was already No. 4 nationally on Rivals, with Stokes ranked No. 1 overall.

Drafted, unpaid, enrolled

Minnesota's second-round pick averaged 6.6 points and 3.6 rebounds for the Wolves in NBA Summer League, per the Journal-World. The court record says he took no compensation beyond expenses for that run. His cousin, freshman forward Brooklynn Renn, plays for the Kansas women's team.

Eligibility can still move if the NCAA appeals and wins. Until a court says otherwise, he is practicing in Lawrence in Mordini's roster spot.

Sources

• Jon Rothstein on X: Purdue transfer Trey Kaufman-Renn has officially signed with Kansas, per release. Oct. 19, 2026.
• Jon Rothstein on X: Kansas now has three players who received additional eligibility via court orders. Oct. 19, 2026.
• Lawrence Journal-World: KU men's basketball adds former Purdue forward Kaufman-Renn for upcoming season. Oct. 19, 2026. Self statement, Mordini, Nov. 1 roster date, injunction, stats, All-Big Ten first team, Texas tip-in, Arizona Elite Eight, Summer League 6.6/3.6, $45,000 TRO language, Brooklynn Renn, positional fit.
• On3 / Yahoo Sports: Former Purdue forward Trey Kaufman-Renn signs with Kansas after judge's order. Oct. 19, 2026. Lawsuit timeline, Sept. 9 TRO, Oct. 9 injunction, NCAA expected to appeal, No. 59 pick, WAVE contract note, 2.2 and 2.5 assists, Rivals rankings.
• AP News: The Associated Press 2024-25 men's college basketball All-America teams. March 18, 2025. Honorable mention.
• IndyStar: Judge's ruling gives former Purdue player 6th year of college basketball eligibility, for now. Oct. 9, 2026. Preliminary injunction context.
• Purdue Sports: Trey Kaufman-Renn roster page. Official athletics headshot source.