Kansas has secured a major commitment from class of 2026 5-star point guard Taylen Kinney, who announced his decision on Sunday.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound guard from Newport, Ky., chose the Jayhawks over Kentucky, Louisville, Arkansas, and several other high-major programs.
Kinney, who left Newport High School for Overtime Elite in Atlanta ahead of his junior year, is entering his second season with the professional-style prep program. His playmaking ability, scoring instincts, and toughness have made him one of the most highly regarded guards in the 2026 class.
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope conducted an in-home visit with Kinney on Sept. 3, showing strong interest in keeping the elite talent in-state. However, that effort wasn’t enough to land his commitment.
In a surprising twist, Kinney told Joe Tipton of Rivals that if he had not chosen Kansas, he likely would have committed to Arkansas or Louisville, and left Kentucky off of his list, even though Kentucky is the more well-known school in the state.
It would probably be Arkansas or Louisville,” Kinney tells Tipton of RIVALS. “Those two.”
The commitment is a significant win for Kansas, which continues to stack elite guard talent under Bill Self. For Kentucky, missing on Kinney represents another recruiting blow, particularly given his in-state ties and the program’s history of securing top homegrown prospects, such as Malachi Moreno, Jasper Johnson, Reed Sheppard, Dominique Hawkins, and Derek Willis, among others.
With Kinney now committed to Kansas, Kentucky will turn its focus to securing a commitment from 4-star PG Deron Rippey Jr., as the staff has conducted in-home visits. Rippey is scheduled to visit Lexington on Monday, October 6.
