Kansas added another piece to its 2026 class on Thursday, landing Grant Mordini after the 6-foot-10 center visited campus on Monday. Mordini announced the commitment in an Instagram post and indicated he will be on scholarship.
Mordini, who previously played at Lake Forest High School in Illinois and most recently took a postgraduate year at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut, said the opportunity with Kansas was a dream. He thanked coach Bill Self, coach Joe Dooley and the rest of the Kansas staff for giving him what he called an incredible chance, and said Kansas had long been one of the top programs he hoped to play for.
The commitment gives Kansas its 11th scholarship player for next season and adds Mordini to a 2026 freshman class that now includes six players. He joined Tyran Stokes in the class, giving the Jayhawks more size as they continue to shape a roster that also includes returning center Paul Mbiya and transfers Keanu Dawes and Christian Reeves.
Mordini’s path to Lawrence was not shaped by a long list of major offers. He also held an offer from Kansas City and one from Division II Franklin Pierce University, while his time at Avon drew interest for what he brought inside. In December, Nick Cozzolino of New England Recruiting Report described him as a strong floor-runner and rebounder who protects the rim, can stretch the floor and anchors Avon on both ends.
His season numbers at Avon were scarce, but Kansas did not need a full stat line to see what it wanted. The Jayhawks still have one remaining walk-on in Will Thengvall, and with scholarship space now filling fast under the House v. NCAA settlement framework, Mordini’s commitment is another sign that Kansas is locking in its frontcourt plans early.
For Mordini, the next step is plain enough: a player who moved from Illinois to Connecticut is now headed to one of college basketball’s most recognizable stages. For Kansas, the question is less about whether it has added another body and more about how much room remains before this roster is complete.
