The Latest on MJ Rice and Joseph Yesufu

EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.

In this Hearings newsletter:

1. What I’m Hearing on Rice and Yesufu

2. KU football is naming its outdoor practice fields

3. Scoops Madness Update

Thank you so much for all of your support. Please keep telling your KU friends subscribe if you find this valuable. It’s a major help.

What I’m Hearing on MJ Rice and Joe Yesufu

Kansas fans buzzed when they saw MJ Rice and Joe Yesufu on the 2023 KU Barnstorming1 roster announced Wednesday night. The main question from the roster news was “Does it mean Rice and Yesufu are staying?”

The short answer: There’s no correlation between the Barnstorming roster and KU’s team for next season. The following is what I’m Hearing as fans wait to see if Rice and Yesufu enter the Transfer Portal:

• MJ Rice - This is most unique case from the remaining Kansas group. I’m Hearing two different things on this one. My best guess right now is 1) Bill Self wants Rice back next year and 2) Rice has indicated to people around the team he intends to transfer. That intent won’t matter until he commits somewhere else.

  • Ultimately, I still think Rice ends up entering the Transfer Portal. There may be some effort happening now to keep him in Lawrence, but I haven’t heard anything strong enough to believe this has changed course. Confidence 76.9%

• Joe Yesufu - I see why some would think he may stay with Pettiford transferring, but I still view this as unlikely. Yesufu needs to be somewhere that allows him to play free on offense. All indications are Yesufu entering the portal soon. Confidence 90.69%

• Bonus: Kyle Cuffe - Cuffe is another scholarship player listed on the Barnstorming Roster. I’d be shocked to see him at KU next year. Confidence: 96.9%

Note: I will update with information about the types of players KU will target when appropriate. I don’t want to speculate on anyone who isn’t already in The Portal.

KU Football Names Fields to Honor a Big-Time Donor

The Kansas Board of Regents approved a request from KU to name its already-built outdoor practice fields on Wednesday. The fields will be named “The Murfin Family Practice Fields,” after the Dave and Janet Murfin family.

Dave Murfin runs one of the top oil and gas companies in the state. Seeing evidence of the Murfin families’ involvement with football is another good sign for the massive stadium renovation fundraising taking place.

Chancellor Girod said the naming was delayed from an much earlier gift to build the practice facilities. Still, AD Travis Goff surely made the Murfin family a top priority when he took over the job, and we’re starting to see some of the results. This can only be a good thing for the future of KU Athletics.

The name will be displayed outside the fields, which sit next to Memorial Stadium.

Scoops Madness Update

Thank you all so much for participating in the Scoops Madness bracket challenge. We raised an incredible $3,320 in a little more than 24 hours for NIL at KU.

I just want to say all of you who didn’t pick Kansas are MONSTERS 😂😂. Sorry, couldn’t resist.. The support here was incredible. I’m hoping we can band together and do more for KU NIL in the future. Below are the results so far: