Kansas Transfer, 2023 4-Star Forward Marcus Adams Jr Sets BYU Visit

One week before fall semester starts, BYU could get a last-minute addition to its 2023 roster.

Forward Marcus Adams Jr is set to take an official visit to BYU, sources tell me. 247’s Dushawn London was the first to report.

A member of the 2023 recruiting class, Adams signed with Kansas back in April and enrolled at the school in June. Adams participated in practices for the Jayhawks before hitting the transfer portal in July. BYU was one of the schools involved then, but Adams signed with Gonzaga. Adams backed off that pledge Sunday night and re-entered the transfer portal. That’s how we got here with BYU involved.

A 6-foot-8 and 205 pounds forward, Adams was initially a member of the 2024 recruiting class before re-classifying to 2023. According to 247 Sports, he is a 4-star recruit and the 49th ranked player in the class.

Below is what Kansas head coach Bill Self said about Marcus after he signed with the Jayhawks.

“We started recruiting Marcus very late in the process,” Self said. “Coach (Kurtis) Townsend was the point recruiter with Marcus. When we had Marcus and his family in on an official visit, we just really connected. He certainly fills a need. He’s a tall wing. He’s 6-foot-8 and can shoot the basketball. He had two games this year, one in which he made 11 threes and the other which he made 13 threes. He’s good with the ball in his hands and can make plays for others as well. We think he is very underrated and a youngster that can find immediate minutes with the departure of our tall wings from last year.”

A gifted scorer, Adams is a skilled wing that can also play the four spot due to his size. He is a knockdown shooter, can score off the dribble, and play above the rim. The Torrance, California product was one of the top prospects in LA. This past season, Marcus had one game with 11 made threes and another where he made 13. In the game he canned 11 triples, he had 50 points and 21 rebounds. Below are highlights from that game.

Out of high school Marcus had offers from Kansas, UCLA, Indiana, Syracuse, Oregon, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, USC, and several others. He initially committed to Kansas over other finalists UCLA and Syracuse.

There are obvious questions that need to be asked. The most obvious one — is is worth taking a guy that will be on his third college before he even plays a game? BYU coaches definitely need to do their homework. There are some potential red flags. My take, however, is that Marcus should be shown some grace. He might be getting some bad advice — which is something to watch — but he’s a young kid who wouldn’t be in college yet if he didn’t reclassify to 2023. With his kind of talent, he’s worth taking on. He should know that he’s worn out his extra chances, so if it doesn’t work out for him at BYU and he transfers in his career, he’d have to sit out an additional year which could torpedo his career.

As far as eligibility, I would expect Marcus to have to sit out and redshirt this upcoming season. Since he is considered an undergraduate transfer and entered the portal after the mid-May deadline, he needs a NCAA waiver to be immediately eligible. He’ll apply for that, but I think chances are low he’d be granted one. While having him this season would be a huge boost for BYU, his eligibility probably helped dampen the competition and allowed BYU to get in this. Redshirting could end up being a good reset for Marcus and allow him to get ready for the 2024 season. Assuming he sits this season, Marcus could join a really talented incoming 2024 class for BYU that also includes Collin Chandler, Isaac Davis, and potentially guys like Brody Kozlowski and Malick Diallo.

There are some risks here. But the rewards could be massive. Marcus has the ability to get on NBA radars and be a foundational piece for BYU that competes for All-Big 12 honors. Big, athletic wings that can score aren’t typically in BYU’s recruiting wheelhouse.

I expect things to move quick. While other schools will be involved, I’d consider BYU the favorite right now.

You can watch highlights of Marcus below.