From what seemed like a last-second push to get five-star class of 2026 point guard Taylen Kinney, the Kansas Jayhawks were able to land their first commit of the 2026 class.
Kinney was recently tipped to join the Jayhawks thanks to predictions logged by Joe Tipton, but the elite point guard who hailed from Newport, Ky, was previously favored to join another school.
However, a massive swoop earlier this month changed his mind toward the Jayhawks.
Kinney is rated by On3 as the No.15 player in the nation, the No.3 point guard. 247Sports touts Kinney as the No.13 player in the nation and the No.1 point guard in the nation. The 247Sports Composite ranks Kinney as the No.17 player in the land and as the No.2 point guard, with all three leaning towards Kinney as the No.1 player in the state of Georgia.
Here is an excerpt from 247Sports' profile of Kinney done by Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein.
"Kinney is a scoring and playmaking lead guard who is smooth and versatile with his attack. He’s a multi-level scoring threat with a creative and crisp handle to get to his advanced pull-up game or pressure the rim. He can rise-up to finish when he has momentum, and also owns dexterity and touch as a lay-up maker. He’s a bit streakier from long-range, with a tendency to short-arm that release more, (33% in OTE & 27% in 3SSB), but plenty capable when in a good rhythm."
Kinney plays for Overtime Elite, which has rung in some of basketball's recent names, such as Robert Dillingham, who was recently selected 8th overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2024 NBA Draft. The most notable OTE alum to Kansas fans is current Kansas freshman Samis Calderon. Calderon was touted as the 84th-ranked prospect in the nation in the class of 2025 before committing to Kansas last November.