Ask any five-star recruit in any class what they’ll consider heaviest when it comes time to picking a college and, by and large, they’ll tell you playing time, closeness to the coaching staff or some variation of the two.

Not Dylan Mingo.

The 6-foot-5 point guard puts the highest premium on the staff’s approach to defensive intensity; makes sense for a guy who led the Nike Peach Jam in steals last month, swiping 3.5 per game for the PSA Cardinals.

“I just feel like the teams that focus on defense first have the most success,” said Mingo, who checks in at No. 12 overall in the Rivals150 for 2026. “That’s how I approach the game too; I want to establish myself defensively because it really does make the game come a lot easier after that.”

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2025 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position

2026 Rankings: Rivals150

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He certainly made it look easy this summer, averaging 15 points, six rebounds, six assists and 2.5 steals a game in the Nike EYBL.

The numbers are even more impressive considering that Mingo missed the vast majority of the high school season nursing a stress fracture.

“I was hungry to get back on the court,” Mingo said. “I just feel like when it comes to summer ball, I always feel like I have to prove myself even more. I had the mentality that I was coming for everything.”

That translated into new offers from Arizona State, Texas A&M and Notre Dame with Illinois, USC, Michigan, Georgia, Ohio State, Pitt, UCLA, Penn State, NIU, Baylor, Villanova, Auburn and Alabama increasing their interest.

As it pertains to getting out to visits, Mingo is taking the tag along approach, while his older brother, Kayden, who ranks No. 43 overall in the Rivals150 for 2025, visits different campuses over the next few months.

He’ll be the sidekick with Kayden at Notre Dame, Penn State “and either Xavier or Wake Forest.”

“It just makes sense to go with him and learn from that,” Dylan said. “I feel like I’ll have a notebook or something and just be writing things down the whole time. I just want to see everything and stay open.”

He takes the same approach with his positioning.

“I feel like I’m effective on or off the ball,” Mingo said. “I’m comfortable wherever. A big thing for me too is that I want the coach to coach me hard. I feel like that’s the only way to get better. I try and learn all I can from my brother and playing with guys like VJ (Edgecombe). Now, I want to put together all the things I’m learning.”