Two Kansas Signees Named to Boys High School Player of the Year Watch List

The Kansas basketball program currently holds the consensus No. 1 or No. 2 high school recruiting class in the 2026 cycle.

All four committed prospects signed their letters of intent during the early signing period, officially kicking off what could be one of Bill Self's most talented groups in years.

While more additions could come later, these four are clearly the headliners of KU's class, and two of them just earned a prestigious national honor. Taylen Kinney and Davion Adkins were both named to the 2025-26 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Boys High School Player of the Year Watch List, joining 48 other standout athletes across the country.

Turning heads nationwide 👀@_showtimedee and @Taylen_0 have been named to the 2025-26 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Boys High School Player of the Year Watch List 💯

🔗→ https://t.co/kwfM2ZqZye pic.twitter.com/oniZDBnHDA
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) November 14, 2025

Kinney technically isn't a traditional high school player anymore, as he now competes in Overtime Elite after spending his first three years at Newport High School in Kentucky.

Playing for Rod Wave Elite in the OTE league, he averaged 20.1 points, 5.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.3 steals last season. He is the No. 1-ranked point guard in his class and a top-15 prospect nationally.

Newport's Taylen Kinney (0) brings the ball up the court during Newport's 81-50 win over Beechwood in the All 'A Classic Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. Alla25 | TONY TRIBBLE FOR THE ENQUIRER / USA TODAY NETWORK

Meanwhile, Adkins is beginning his first year at Prolific Prep, the same powerhouse prep program that also produced current KU star Darryn Peterson.

The 6-foot-9 big man is considered one of the most skilled and versatile frontcourt players in the entire class after starring previously at Oak Cliff Faith Family Academy in Texas.

Kansas has a long line of players who have taken home the honor. The Jayhawks had back-to-back recruits win it in 2013 and 2014, with Andrew Wiggins and Cliff Alexander being crowned the best high school basketball players in the country.

This past year, Peterson won the 2025 award himself, which isn't surprising given how dominant he was against nearly all of the competition he faced.

"It is a blessing to be in this position. It is an unbelievable honor to win the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year. To know that I have added my name to a list that includes LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and others is quite the feeling," Peterson wrote in a press release when he won the award. "My teammates and I put in an extreme amount of work throughout the year, and it would not be possible without them."

It is unlikely either player ultimately wins the award, as Kinney's OTE status complicates voting and Adkins is not the most highly ranked recruit nationally. Adkins' Prolific Prep teammate and KU recruiting target, Caleb Holt, has a strong chance at taking it home.

However, being named to the watch list is still a significant milestone for these two future Jayhawks, and it is another reminder that Kansas' 2026 class is an extremely special group.