How Kohl Rosario earned the nickname ‘Steve Rogers’ from his Jayhawk teammates
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Teammates dub Kohl Rosario “Steve Rogers” for nonstop effort and stamina
- Rosario projects as rotation shooter; KU needs his 3-point scoring and range
- He pairs with Darryn Peterson; chemistry creates open looks and offensive lift
Kansas Jayhawks freshman shooting guard Kohl Rosario arrived in Lawrence in June, but his teammates have already given him an iconic nickname:
Steve Rogers, better known as “Captain America.”
“That dude doesn’t ever get tired,” KU guard Elmarko Jackson said. “We call him Steve Rogers, Captain America. He’s something different. (He can) shoot the lights out. And he goes hard, and he does his job.”
Rosario wouldn’t go so far as to refer to himself as a superhero. Rather, he believes his bushy mustache explains why he’s drawn the nickname.
And ultimately it doesn’t really matter what he’s called, as he figures to play a big role in the Jayhawks’ rotation this season regardless. He’s made tremendous strides over the last year.
He was ranked No. 27 in the class of 2026 by Rivals before reclassifying to the class of 2025 and joining KU in late June. Since then he’s become the most talked-about player on the Jayhawks’ roster aside from freshman phenom Darryn Peterson.
Fans have noticed. Teammates have paid attention. And, perhaps most importantly, he has caught the eye of KU head basketball coach Bill Self.
“We thought he was good, but I didn’t really appreciate his maturity and his commitment to trying to be good,” Self said. “I mean, he tries ridiculously hard every day. Ridiculously hard.
“You can tell him what he needs to do to get better that day or that week … and he’ll put a conscious effort to work on that so hard until he masters that, or at least gets close.”
Self, too, stopped short of using the word superhero, but the coach did note that Rosario shoots the ball and is “getting more consistent all the time.”
Rosario’s AAU numbers back up that assertion. During this year’s AAU season, he averaged 14.2 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He’s also shot 44.4% on 3-point attempts.
He’s clearly shown his shooting ability in practice, as Kansas big man Flory Bidunga told The Star that Rosario is one of the best shooters on the team.
That’s why Rosario was one of KU’s starters in the Jayhawks’ exhibition game against Louisville on Friday. He didn’t have the best night shooting it — he went 0-for-4 overall, including 0-for-3 from 3-point range.
His shot selection and shooting stroke looked good, but the freshman appeared to be a little nervous on the court.
The Jayhawks certainly need his shooting skills. Just one player on this season’s KU squad shot better than 33% last season — Jayden Dawson (36.3%).
As for what Self believes Rosario can add to the mix beyond his shooting?
“He hasn’t shot it well at all in Late Night and that (game) the other day, of course, that’s a very small sample size,” Self said. “I think stealing us extra possessions, playing above the rim. He’s a really good offensive rebounder. He probably does that about as well as anything.”
Don’t get it twisted — those things are a bonus. Rosario’s shooting is the biggest reason he will play big minutes. Now, he just needs to get it done in game time. He will get another chance on Tuesday, when KU plays host to Fort Hays State in an exhibition matchup.
“He needs to be able to make shots,” Self said. ”He and Jayden (Dawson) collectively combined need to give us a legitimate 3-point threat out there whenever they are out there on the court.”
Rosario’s on-court chemistry with freshman star Peterson is a major bonus. In KU’s exhibition game at Louisville, Peterson repeatedly drove toward the rim, drew some defenders, and passed it back out to Rosario, who’d be sitting on the 3-point line.
Recently, Peterson said he likes playing with Rosario. That feeling goes both ways.
“I like playing with him (Peterson),” Rosario said. “He will drive, draw two people and leave me wide open. So, I like that.”
This story was originally published October 28, 2025 at 5:30 AM with the headline "How Kohl Rosario earned the nickname ‘Steve Rogers’ from his Jayhawk teammates."
