Well, it officially happened, Louisville basketball fans. The Cardinals were absolutely gut-wrenched as 5-star Taylen Kinney committed to the Kansas Jayhawks over the Louisville Cardinals.
No one is surprised, as nearly everyone predicted this after the last month of recruiting. However, many fans were hoping he would pull off the biggest surprise and commit to his home state, wearing red and black next season.
The Jayhawks received a visit in August and experienced a significant surge in Kinney's recruiting process, ultimately winning the recruiting battle over Louisville. Now, the Cardinals not only strike out on a Kentucky native, but they strike out on earning the No. 1 point guard in the 2026 class.
Taylen Kinney stabs Louisville in the heart with commitment decision
Kinney was regarded as a 5-star prospect out of Newport, Kentucky, and was ranked as high as No. 13 in the 2026 cycle and the No. 1 point guard. The elite Kentucky native is one of the top playmakers in the 2026 cycle, averaging 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 55.6 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc with RWE last season.
NEWS: 2026 Top-15 overall recruit Tay Kinney has committed to Kansas, he told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) September 28, 2025
“It was really a no-brainer…I feel like I'm going to be on that stage to be able to get to the league."
The 6-3 PG chose the Jayhawks over Louisville, Arkansas, Kentucky, and others.… pic.twitter.com/SbP33KXKq6
Kelsey reportedly told Kinney that he wants him to be the Cardinals' guy after Brown leaves for the NBA following his freshman season, and wants Kinney to be a one-and-done superstar as well. However, despite Kelsey telling Kinney he wants him to have the keys to the car in 2026-27, Self and his pitch were a bit better as Kinney is going to wear white and blue next season, not red and black.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound was once a near lock to commit to Louisville after the Cardinals earned an official visit in June. They were well ahead in the race, the 5-star, but Self pulled off some magic tricks and stole the Adidas star right from Kelsey's hand, and now Louisville must find their next superstar guard.
Louisville is trending with many targets, but it is clear that the nation's No. 1 overall recruit, Tyran Stokes, and 4-star Colben Landrew are towards the top of their list. With Kinney's heartbreaking blow this afternoon, Louisville will now fully shift its focus to the following targets as the fall commitment dates approach.
Related: Louisville jumps Alabama, Georgia, and Auburn after massive update from 4-star SG
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.