Baylor Basketball Lands Former Big Ten Starter In Transfer Portal

This is a big one for Scott Drew.

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Scott Drew and Baylor had already landed one guard in the transfer portal — Liberty shooter Brett Decker Jr. — and now the Bears landed a very big fish.

On Thursday, Penn State's Kayden Mingo pledged to Baylor and will head to Waco for his sophomore season.

Mingo is the No. 28 transfer portal player, according to On3's Industrial rankings. He played one season with Penn State before entering the transfer portal.

BREAKING: Penn State transfer guard Kayden Mingo has committed to Baylor, @JamieShaw5 confirms. https://t.co/eT5F1el3OY pic.twitter.com/UbILQFi7NV

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) April 16, 2026

The 6'3" guard played and started 28 games for Penn State. Mingo averaged 13.7 points per game and dished out a team-high 4.3 assists. Mingo also grabbed 3.5 rebounds and averaged 2.1 steals per game.

Mingo's biggest thing he will work on when he arrives in Waco is his three-point shooting. The standout guard shot just 24.4% from deep, and will want to improve on those numbers in a fast-paced offense.

Mingo was a key piece for Drew to land, and that's exactly what he did.

What to know about Mingo

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After losing both Tounde Yessoufou and Cameron Carr to the NBA Draft, Baylor is set to lose its top three scorers from last year — Obi Agbim also left due to graduation. Baylor also lost some key role players like Dan Skillings Jr, and Michael Rataj, and it was clear that Drew needed to re-tool his roster, especially after a 17-17 season.

Decker Jr. was a vital piece to the equation, who was the second-best three-point shooter in America this past season. While Decker Jr. was the start, Mingo was the big fish. The 6'3" guard can do it all and he started in one of the toughest conferences in the country. Like in the Big 12, every night was a gauntlet for Penn State and Mingo.

We know Mingo was battle tested and will come to Baylor prepared to play in another difficult conference. Aside from that, Baylor needed a true point guard. Agbim was a shooting guard who attempted to play point, and JJ White is likely back in Waco this upcoming season, but he's still unproven in a Power conference.

Package deal?

The other factor in this commitment is Mingo's brother. Dylan Mingo is one of the top prospects in the 2026 cycle.

Mingo had Baylor in his final four, but opted to commit to North Carolina. However, after the Tar Heels parted ways with Hubert Davis, Mingo re-opened his commitment. With his brother coming to Baylor, there might be a good chance Mingo follows suit.

The younger Mingo is a 6'5" combo guard that can play three positions. Drew would be able to move him around and it would be another five-star he can add to his recruiting wins.