Jeff Borzello
Paul Biancardi
Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Five-star senior Taylen Kinney, the No. 4 point guard in the 2026 SportsCenter NEXT rankings, announced his commitment to the Kansas Jayhawks on Sunday.
The 6-foot-3 Kinney, ranked No. 17 overall in the 2026 class, also had Louisville, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky and Oregon on his final list. He took visits to all six of his finalists, and it was an August trip to Kansas that appeared to change the momentum of his recruitment toward the Jayhawks, who were perceived to be running behind Louisville during most of the summer.
“It felt like family from the time I got there until I left,” Kinney told ESPN. “We did so much. Saw the school, facilities, and dinners. We went over my film, both the good clips and the bad clips. The fans at the football game were great. As soon as I walked in the stadium, they knew who I was.”
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Kinney developed strong relationships with coach Bill Self and new assistant coach Jacque Vaughn, the former Kansas star and two-time NBA head coach who was hired to Self’s staff in May.
“Bill Self is a winner,” Kinney said. “He has developed professionals. He is truthful, kindhearted and down to earth. He is hard on his guys and good to them off the court. … It will be great to learn from [Vaughn]. He kept it real.”
Kinney, who is from Kentucky and plays for the Overtime Elite program, continues to develop as a playmaker, balancing his ability to score with setting up his teammates. He is an aggressive and shifty driver who shows burst when attacking the paint. He has natural instincts in transition but has the ball skills and footwork to create separation when the game slows down in the half court. Kinney has good range on his perimeter shot but also has an effective floater when he gets close to the rim.
He averaged 20.1 points, 4.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists for RWE on the Overtime Elite circuit last season, shooting 65% inside the arc and 33.3% from 3. He continued his stellar play on the Adidas 3SSB circuit in the spring and summer, putting up 18.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists for Wildcat Select.
Kinney is Kansas’ first commitment in the 2026 class and marks the second consecutive group that has featured a five-star point guard after Self landed potential No. 1 NBA draft pick Darryn Peterson in the 2025 class. The Jayhawks are also in a strong position for top-50 prospect Davion Adkins, who could be nearing a decision, and they’re hosting Ethan Taylor, the No. 3 center, for a visit this weekend.
