Kinney is just one of a handful of recruits in his class with an offer from Kentucky.
The Kentucky Wildcats remain one of the most coveted programs for incoming freshmen. With the likes of Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson joining the team next season, the Cats should continue to be a hotspot for rising stars.
Under Mark Pope, the Cats have shown a quick, fun offense mixed with an aggressive defense. Couple that with the atmosphere at Rupp Arena and the ties to the NBA as well, and one should anticipate high-profile recruits continuing to consider Kentucky.
That’s exactly what Tay Kinney is doing. He made his first cut of programs, and with dozens of scholarship offers, he’s down to just 15. Kentucky is among them, and per On3’s recruiting profile, could have the best chance to land the 4-star recruit. On3 currently gives Kentucky a 38.4% chance of landing Kinney. Next in line is Cincinnati at 11.9%, followed by Louisville at 10.2%.
Taylen Kinney, a top-20 recruit in the 2026 class, announced his top 15 schools on Instagram.
The 6-2 Point Guard out of Kentucky received nearly 40 scholarship offers. https://t.co/dmVNusntuY pic.twitter.com/Xtibbo1XhT
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) December 25, 2024
Originally from Newport, KY, Kinney is the fifth-ranked point guard in the class of 2026. He is currently playing his high school ball with Overtime Elite out of Atlanta.
Johnson, a 5-star Kentucky recruit in the class of 2025, is also with Overtime Elite out of Atlanta, so there could be some help from the already-committed guard as well.
As for Kinney, he ranks as the third-best player from the state of Georgia and the 20th-best player nationally. With other programs like Auburn, Arkansas, and Alabama targeting the young guard, there will undoubtedly be competition on the recruiting trail for Pope and his team.
With Kinney being from northern Kentucky, the Cats may have a leg up already.
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