Kansas Basketball Recruiting Class Leaps into Top 5

The Kansas Jayhawks now own one of the best recruiting classes in the country after a monumental week on the recruiting trail by head coach Bill Self and the Kansas coaching staff.

In the span of seven days, KU landed commitments from three of the top ranked recruits in the 2026 class and now own the second best class in the country, according to 247Sports.com.

The first commitment came on Sunday, Sept. 28, when Taylen Kinney pledged his services to the Jayhawks over a group of finalists that included Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana, Louisville, and Oregon. The 6-foot-1, five-star prospect from Newport, Kentucky, is rated as the No. 1 point guard and the No. 13 player overall in the 2026 class.

Kinney has all the makings of a true difference maker for this KU team the moment he steps foot on campus. He can create his own shot as well as create opportunities for the teammates around him, and he is expected to step into the shoes left behind by current KU freshman phenom Darryn Peterson when he goes pro following this upcoming season.

The next piece of the 2026 puzzle came in the form of small forward Trent Perry, who committed to the Jayhawks on Oct. 1 over Maryland and TCU.

Perry is ranked as a four-star recruit and the No. 120 player overall in the 2026 class who gained the attention of the KU staff after a strong summer on the AAU circuit where he averaged 15.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game playing for MoKan Elite.

Not known as an elite scorer, Perry has made his mark thanks to his athleticism and hustle – particularly on the defensive end. He’s exactly the kind of player Self loves and should be around the program for years to come as he further develops his game at the college level.

On Sunday, Oct. 5, KU landed their third commitment of this now stellar 2026 class when four-star center Davion Adkins committed to Self and the Jayhawks during a halftime ceremony that aired live on ESPN2.

Adkins is rated as the No. 34 player in the country and the No. 3 player at his position.

Like Perry, Adkins is known for his athleticism and strong defensive skills. He’s an elite rim protector with a 7-foot-2 wingspan who averaged 3.3 blocks per game during the NBPA Top 100 Camp this summer.

More to come?

The Jayhawks have a really well-rounded group now for 2026, but the KU coaching staff is still in pursuit of an elite shooting guard/wing to round out the class.

KU is listed among the top five schools for No. 1 ranked Tyran Stokes – but the odds of landing him took a sharp crash after it was announced that he signed a multi-year NIL deal with Nike.

The Jayhawks will now likely put the full press on shooting guard Caleb Holt who is ranked as the No. 1 player at his position and the No. 5 player overall in the 2026 class. The fit would make a lot of sense with Holt having an NIL deal with Adidas (the same as Kinney) and him currently playing for Prolific Prep – where Adkins also now plays after transferring from Faith Family Academy in Dallas for his senior season.