Former Kansas Jayhawk Jamari McDowell, a Class of 2023 commit, has announced his transfer to Wake Forest for the remainder of his collegiate career. The 6-foot-5 guard, a former four-star recruit, averaged 3.3 points per game for Kansas this past season and will have two years of eligibility remaining with the Demon Deacons.
The two longest-tenured players on the Kansas basketball roster were Class of 2023 commits Elmarko Jackson and Jamari McDowell before they entered the transfer portal last week. Now, the latter has chosen his next collegiate destination. The Houston, Texas native announced yesterday that he will be heading to Wake Forest for his final two years of eligibility.
Even if it's not as a Jayhawk, this feels like a great landing spot for someone like McDowell, who simply needed a fresh start. The 6-foot-5 guard and former four-star recruit averaged 3.3PPG, 1.6RPG and 1.1APG this season and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Coming out of Manvel High School, McDowell was a 4-star recruit ranked just inside the top 100 nationally. When he committed to KU, there were hopes he could develop into an unexpected backcourt star like Frank Mason III or Devonte' Graham did in the past. That unfortunately didn't materialize, as he played sparingly as a freshman and redshirted what would have been his sophomore season.
In the 2025-26 campaign, McDowell appeared in all 35 games and averaged 3.3 points and 1.6 rebounds With 5-star prospect Taylen Kinney and potentially a group of transfers leading the backcourt next year, there was no clear path for McDowell to earn more playing time. It makes sense why he would look to transfer to a more favorable situation as his college career winds down.
Playing at Wake Forest is a great chance for him to showcase his all-around ability. The Demon Deacons are coming off a disappointing 18-17 season in the ACC, where they finished 13th in the conference standings. McDowell now has a chance to prove himself to head coach Steve Forbes and show why he was once a highly regarded recruit.
He showed flashes during his time at Kansas as a capable 3-point shooter and point-of-attack defender. Ultimately, McDowell was a player who was easy to root for, even when he wasn't producing at a high level. He is someone fans will likely continue to root for long-term, even when he's no longer sporting the crimson and blue.
A longtime Kansas basketball and football fan, Josh is at The College of New Jersey majoring in Communications and minoring in Journalism. Josh has over 1,000 published articles on KU athletics on FanSided's Through the Phog, with additional work at Pro Football Network and Last Word on Sports. In his free time, Josh often broadcasts TCNJ football games on WTSR 91.3FM.
Jamari Mcdowell Wake Forest Basketball Kansas Basketball NCAA Transfer Portal College Basketball
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