Kansas Viewed as One of Two Frontrunners for Taylen Kinney by Insider

KU and Louisville now reportedly lead in the race to land Kinney's services, meaning Self and Co. may have surpassed other schools like Kentucky and Indiana in his recruitment.

Kansas had been mentioned as one of Kinney's potential destinations in the past, but this news is incredibly surprising to say the least.

Kinney recently wrapped up his first official visit to Lawrence last month to see the campus and the season-opening football game against Fresno State. He visited Indiana this past weekend and still has trips scheduled to Oregon, Texas, Miami (FL), and Arkansas throughout September.

It was widely known that Kinney, a Newport, Kentucky native, was considering schools with a closer proximity to him. Although the Cardinals are still one of the two 'frontrunners' in the race according to Tipton, Self and his coaching staff may have made a late push during his visit.

Kentucky still appears to be pursuing the standout guard, though. Head coach Mark Pope trekked out for an in-home visit with Kinney earlier this week, something Coach Self might do in the coming days as well. 

MORE: Kansas Basketball Visit Primer: Recruits Planning to Take Trips to KU

Kinney is currently rated as the No. 1 point guard and No. 12 overall player in 247 Sports' 2026 recruiting class rankings.

He played for Rod Wave Elite in the Overtime Elite league this season and posted stellar numbers. Across 20 contests, Kinney averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals.

Despite standing at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Kinney plays bigger than his size and has the tools to transform into a two-way star. He possesses an exceptional basketball IQ and can create shots for himself or his teammates.

In a July interview with ZAGSBLOG, here’s what Kinney had to say about the Jayhawks’ program:

"[Kansas] got national championships, they got players in the NBA, and they got DP [Darryn Peterson]," Kinney stated. "I really want to see what they can do with DP. I think he’s a pro. When he goes to Kansas, I want to see what they do, if they let him rock out, what they do."

We know that recruiting is fluid and things can change at any moment, but it’s hard not to get excited about the potential successor to Darryn Peterson at point guard.

If Tipton's update is true, this is a massive development for Kansas on the recruiting trail. Jayhawk fans should circle Kinney's name as a top target for the program moving forward.