Taylen Kinney (0) stands on the court during an AAU basketball game July 4, 2023, at the Nike EYBL Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. A Newport native, Kinney is a Class of 2026 recruit and holds a scholarship offer to play at Louisville. Brooks Holton / USA TODAY NETWORK

Spartans Should Target Top Class of 2026 PG

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Tom Cavanaugh | Last updated Jul 8, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The Michigan State Spartans should certainly take a look at 2026 five-star point guard Taylen Kinney, and it is quite a head-scratcher that they have yet to send him an offer. One of the top 15 players in the entire nation makes him one of the highest coveted recruits in the country.

Kinney hails from Atlanta, Georgia, as the No. 1 player in the state, No. 1 point guard in the country and No. 14 overall prospect in the nation, per 247Sports' Composite rankings. He has racked up a grand total of 26 offers and somehow Michigan State has not yet joined that list.

One big reason why MSU probably does not feel the need to recruit Kinney is because of the current depth at the point guard position, and it must be fairly confident that neither player is going to transfer at the end of this upcoming season.

Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Fears Jr. and sophomore Divine Ugochukwu, a recent transfer from Miami (FL), make up the prime backcourt position. However, Kinney has the potential to be significantly better than both players and could turn MSU back into a dominant scoring team.

247Sports director of scouting Adam Finkelstein did a deep dive on Kinney, his talent and the parts of his game that are going to transfer well to the next level. He is currently favoring Oregon, Kentucky, Louisville, Alabama and fellow Big Ten powerhouse Purdue.

"Kinney is a scoring and playmaking lead guard who is smooth and versatile with his attack," Finkelstein wrote. "He’s a three-range scoring threat who is creative and crisp with his handle, especially adept at getting to his pull-up, but can also get to the paint. He can rise-up at the rim when he has some momentum, and also owns dexterity and touch as a lay-up maker.

"Defensively, he’s good with his hands and shown flashes of being able to blow-up ball screens, but like most kids his age, just needs to be more consistent with his approach. Physically, while he measures in at just over 6-foot-1, he plays much bigger than his size, thanks his long 6-foot-6-plus wingspan, increased muscle mass, and the physicality in his game."

It is certainly not too late for the Spartans to get in the mix, but with Kinney already narrowing his search down to a handful of teams, the chances are not extremely high. But it would be foolish to count out future Hall-of-Fame head coach Tom Izzo and his staff's ability to become a top option.

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