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⭐️ Breaking: KU Lands 2026's No. 1 PG Tay Kinney
A 5-star day for KU Hoops
Mike Vernon
September 28, 2025
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EVERYTHING IN THIS NEWSLETTER IS BASED UPON WHAT I AM HEARING FROM PEOPLE I TRUST. PLEASE DO NOT MISTAKE THIS FOR FACT OR FOR ACTUAL JOURNALISM, WHICH HAS VERIFICATION STANDARDS THAT I HAVE NOT ADHERED TO. I DO NOT GUARANTEE THE ACCURACY OF THE CONTENT.
⭐️ Breaking: KU Lands 2026 No. 1 PG Tay Kinney
The No. 1 point guard in the 2026 class is officially a Kansas Jayhawk.
Taylen "Tay" Kinney committed to Kansas on Sunday over Louisville, Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana, and Oregon.
Watch his commitment video below.
It’s a big statement for the Jayhawks to land the 6’2” PG over his home-state schools Kentucky and Louisville. He’d be a fitting handoff for a Kansas program that’ll be replacing Darryn Peterson next year, which was largely Bill Self’s recruiting pitch.
"Coach Self told me I was gonna get to play right when I stepped in," Kinney said during his commitment. "I was gonna be the man. He threw me the keys and said, 'This is my team next year.''
When asked what separated Kansas, Kinney said:
"They got Jacque Vaughn. He played in the NBA, coached in the NBA. Getting taught by a pro is a lot."
Kinney’s Game
Kinney is a skilled guard with a 6’7” wingspan that makes him a dangerous and effective finisher.
He averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in OTE play this week.
Kinney’s length and quickness make him the kind of all-around player Bill Self looks for in guards.
247Sports’ scouting report (Adam Finkelstein): “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.”
His three-point shooting has shown meaningful signs of improvement this summer (47.6% at NBPA Top-100) but has been hit-and-miss in the past. This will be a key growth area for his game.
Kinney’s ‘6-7’ Brand 💧
Kinney has done a ton of work with his personal brand and has more than 1M followers across social media.
One of his biggest efforts includes a water company called ‘6-7.’ He even released this special 6-7, KU-themed water following the announcement.
Note: This is not a paid ad. I think it’s cool when players build their own brand and aren’t afraid to share their personality with fans. You’ll definitely read/see stuff about his brand while Kinney is in Lawrence. It’ll be a thing.
The Athletic/NY Times wrote about Kinney’s social media popularity and involvement with the ‘6-7’ meme, which is apparently very popular with Gen Alpha and Gen Z.
It’s gonna be fun, and Kinney is already trying to recruit 2026’s No. 1 overall recruit Tyran Stokes to Kansas.
More on that in VIP below.
I asked Tay Kinney who he plans to recruit with him to Kansas. His response:
"Shoot, I already know one that's coming. Right when I said I was going, I put that call in. I ain't going to say his name, but he going to announce.
“And then trying to get Tyran (Stokes).”
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits)
5:46 PM • Sep 28, 2025
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