Kansas basketball just added to its 2026 recruiting class. The Jayhawks earned a commitment from a five-star prospect named Taylen Kinney.
LAWRENCE — The Kansas basketball program received some good news Sunday as Taylen Kinney announced his commitment to the program.
Kinney is a 247Sports Composite five-star prospect in the class of 2026 and the second-ranked point guard in the nation. He’s the No. 17 player in his class overall and someone who can help attract more talent to Lawrence ahead of the 2026-27 season. He’s also set to arrive from Overtime Elite, a program KU is not a stranger to in the recent past in the recruiting space.
“Coach (Bill) Self told me I was going to get to play right when I stepped in,” Kinney said live on the CBS Sports HQ broadcast. “I was going to be the man. He threw me the keys and said this is my team next year. He wants me to be there for 10 months and take the next step.”
Kinney, further explaining how he chose KU, added: “It was just different than every other school. They’ve got a great coaching staff. They’ve got Jacque Vaughn, he played in the NBA, coached in the NBA. He’ll help me out on player development. So, like, just getting taught by a pro, that’s just a lot.”
Optimism is growing around the Kansas program that, despite a disappointing pair of postseason outings the past two seasons, the Jayhawks are poised to bounce back during the 2025-26 season. With freshman guard Darryn Peterson poised to star for KU this season, there’ll sure to be attention on Self’s program either way. If Peterson and company can deliver what is expected, Kinney is someone who can help sustain that momentum.
During Self’s tenure at Kansas, the program has won a pair of national championships and numerous Big 12 Conference titles. A player with the talent of Kinney’s can certainly help create more success. The roster next season will look a lot different than it does this season as the general turnover of each college roster unfolds, but having Kinney in the fold doesn’t hurt expectations.
“A leader,” Kinney said, asked what he’s bringing to Kansas. “Fast-paced offense. Winning attitude.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Class of 2026 five-star Taylen Kinney commits to Kansas basketball
Category: General Sports
