Tennessee basketball is firmly in the mix for the top-ranked point guard in the entire 2026 class.
Taylen Kinney, a five-star recruit who is considered the No. 11 player in the cycle, according to 247, released a list of the top 12 schools he’ll be considering going forward. The Vols made the cut alongside fellow SEC programs Kentucky, Texas, Arkansas and Auburn. The other schools included are Louisville, Kansas, Xavier, Purdue, Oregon, Indiana and Miami.
Kinney is a member of the Overtime Elite league based in Atlanta, Georgia. This is the same league that current Tennessee freshman Amari Evans played in. Evans was named the Defensive Player of the Year and signed to the Vols as a four-star recruit.
Kinney, a five-star, stands at 6-foot-1, 185 pounds as he enters the final season of his prep career. He has already shown off the ability to find his own shot, as well as set up teammates.
“Kinney is a scoring and playmaking lead guard who is smooth and versatile with his attack,” 247 Director of Scouting Adam 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. He’s capable of knocking down open threes, with a plenty projectable stroke, but could get more consistent after making 33% in the OTE last season and short-arming his release at times.”
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He has multiple official visits set up at the moment. Kinney will visit Kansas on August 22, Indiana on August 29, Oregon on September 6, Texas on September 12 and Arkansas on September 26. There is currently no announced visit planned to see Tennessee.
The Vols offered Kinney on December 24, 2023. This has given Tennessee a good bit of time to get in his favor and make its pitch, though.
The Vols currently hold no commitments in the 2026 class. However, Tennessee is in the mix for a group of highly-rated recruits in the cycle. This includes in-state, five-star Chris Washington Jr., who just included the Vols in his top list of schools.
This offseason, UT did a great job of replenishing its roster, though. Including transfer portal additions, Tennessee added foreign guards with professional experience in Ethan Burg and Clarence Massamba.
In the high school ranks, Rick Barnes landed five-star forward and No. 4 overall recruit Nate Ament. He joins four-star wing Amari Evans, three-star forward DeWayne Brown II and unranked point guard Troy Henderson.
Other players on the team with additional eligibility are J.P. Estrella, Cade Phillips, Jaylen Carey and Bishop Boswell. Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Felix Okpara and Amaree Abram will be out of eligibility.
