Kansas wide receiver Jarred Sample and offensive lineman Harrison Utley have both entered the transfer portal, according to multiple reports on Monday afternoon.
JayhawkSlant was first to report the news.
Sample’s departure further thins out a position group at which KU is already set to lose its top four players from the 2024 season. Sample, who was a redshirt freshman in 2024, did not play a snap in either of his two seasons in Lawrence, according to Pro Football Focus. He entered the portal on the first day it was open to non-graduate transfers.
He was originally a three-star prospect out of Cypress Ranch High School in Cypress, Texas, and now becomes KU’s second wide receiver signee from the class of 2023 to leave the program out of three overall, after Surahz Buncom transferred to Eastern Illinois last offseason.
Their classmate Keaton Kubecka remains on the roster, and rising redshirt senior Doug Emilien is the only other returning scholarship wideout with prior experience. Jackson Cook, Bryson Hayes, Tate Nagy and Jaden Nickens signed to play at KU as part of the class of 2025.
With quarterback Jalon Daniels set to return, the KU staff has already been aggressive about pursuing potential transfer wide receivers in the portal, including Bryson Canty from Columbia, Jalen Moss from Fresno State and Joseph Williams from Tulsa, all of whom have posted on social media about offers from KU.
Utley is leaving the program not long after joining it; he was a freshman this past season who arrived in the fall out of Norman, Oklahoma. The three-star offensive lineman stayed committed to the Jayhawks even after receiving a scholarship offer from his hometown Oklahoma Sooners.
KU changed offensive line coaches from Scott Fuchs, who left for the NFL, to Daryl Agpalsa in February. Utley redshirted this past season and did not see the field.
The Jayhawks have plenty more young players in the fold along the offensive line, including David Abajian, Kene Anene, Calvin Clements, Amir Herring, Carter Lavrusky and James Livingston, and brought in one more recently in 2025 signee Anderson Kopp. Transfers KU has pursued in the portal on the O-line include Kendall Stanley from Charlotte, Jack Tanner of Tulsa and Trevor Mayberry from Stanford.
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