Penn State men's basketball lost freshman guard Kayden Mingo to the Transfer Portal after helping pull the weight of the Nittany Lions for the 2025-26 season.
Towards the end of the season, his brother, Dylan Mingo, decided on which school he was committing to. Penn State was a top school on the list, but he ultimately committed to North Carolina. Following the Tar Heels firing their head coach, Hubert Davis, there was false hope for the blue and white to swing him over to Happy Valley.
Kayden Mingo's departure all but confirmed that their chances at landing Dylan Mingo were erased.
On April 13, Joe Tipton of On3 /Rivals reported that the Class of 2026 point guard reopened his recruitment. The timing of this matter almost feels like a slap in the face for Penn State.
NEWS: 5⭐️ North Carolina commit Dylan Mingo, the No. 1 point guard in the 2026 class, is reopening his recruitment, sources tell @Rivals. https://t.co/0NwOShHVtC pic.twitter.com/gnjCQZQWx5
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) April 13, 2026
Point guard Dylan Mingo reopens recruitment just as it becomes clear that Penn State won't land him
The Glen Head, N.Y. native is a five-star prospect who's ranked fifth nationally, second among combo guards, and first from New York, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
While the end of his initial recruitment period was all UNC, Dylan Mingo also took official visits to NC State, Baylor, Penn State, Alabama, UConn, Miami, and Washington. The Huskies were also a top team by the time his decision announcement in mid-February came around.
Grant Hughes of 247Sports also reported that with Dylan Mingo, guard Kyan Evans, and guard Luka Bogavac, the Tar Heels freed up $6 million. Like the Nittany Lions, but on a much larger scale, UNC is also building out its 2026-27 roster, and that amount of money can go a long way, especially during the portal season.
With both Kayden and Dylan Mingo searching for their new NCAA home, it's not off the table for them to sign with the same program. That's where the Nittany Lions also get left in the dust. While Dylan Mingo never made it onto head coach Mike Rhoades' roster, it's still a punch in the gut knowing there was another opportunity to land him in the near future.
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