Five-star shooting guard Taylen Kinney recently sat down with On3’s Joe Tipton to discuss the latest developments in his recruitment journey, revealing that the Kansas Jayhawks are one of two programs he’s planning official visits with.
The Georgia native has already made multiple trips—roughly six—to Lexington to visit the Kentucky Wildcats, while also taking visits to see the Louisville Cardinals.
During the conversation, Kinney touched on his interest in several programs, including Kentucky, Louisville, Texas, Oregon, Arkansas, Indiana, and Kansas.
Notably, Kinney has already signed a landmark NIL deal with Adidas — a major move considering he still has another season of high school remaining. Of the schools he’s considering, only two are Adidas-sponsored: Louisville and Kansas.
While brand deals aren’t everything, in today’s college athletics landscape—where NIL agreements and sponsorships hold significant influence—they could give the Jayhawks a crucial advantage in securing Kinney’s commitment.
Wearing your sponsor’s gear and shoes on game day is exactly what players and brands want. After all, why would a company invest in an athlete only to have them represent a rival brand during competition?
There are exceptions, of course. Take Ohio State’s star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who signed with Adidas despite OSU being a Nike-sponsored program. But Smith’s elite status makes that deal unique, and comparing his situation to Kinney’s recruitment is like comparing apples to oranges.
Another potential challenge for Kansas is Kinney’s current situation playing for Overtime Elite in Newport, KY—just about an hour and a half from Kentucky’s home in Lexington and slightly farther from Louisville. This close proximity to those programs could factor into his decision.
Kinney hasn’t yet revealed when he’ll visit Lawrence, but a strong impression from Kansas head coach Bill Self, combined with the brand alignment, could very well tip the scales in favor of the Jayhawks.
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