Calipari back on road for early Monday visit with 2026 priority 5-star

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Arkansas coach John Calipari was back on the road Sunday night, arriving late in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., with his sights set on an important Monday morning recruiting meeting.

Accompanied by Razorbacks assistant coach Chuck Martin, Calipari is set to visit with 2026 priority target Caleb Holt (6-5 guard, Prolific Prep, native of Huntsville, Ala., national No. 2, 5-star prospect).

Holt told us about the planned meeting on Sunday night.

Adding intrigue to the Arkansas coaches' stop to see Holt (Martin traveled there roughly a week ago to see him as week) is that after they depart Ft. Lauderdale sometime later on Monday their plan is to make a stop in Huntsville, Ala.

As mentioned above, Huntsville is Holt's hometown. It's conceivable Calipari and Martin intend to meet with Holt's family members, specifically his parents who were with Holt in Fayetteville when he visited in late August.

Calipari and the Razorbacks hosted Holt on an official visit the weekend of Aug. 29-31, immediately after which the talented combo guard described his experience as being a "great vibe" weekend.

By all accounts, the visit was a huge success and it improved Arkansas' chances to potentially land Holt, who has since visited Kentucky, Alabama, and Providence with planned upcoming stops at Arizona and Auburn.

Holt seemed pleased with his interactions with Calipari, the program, and the fanbase.

"It's been a great vibe," Holt told us during an Aug. 31 interview in Fayetteville. "It was the first football game, so it was out here. It was a great experience. Coach Cal, we talked a lot this weekend. We ate a lot of food this weekend together, so we got to have a lot of basketball conversations.

"He was talking about if I come here, he looks for me to be a leader. As far as like his history and everything with the one-and-dones, that's my goal. Come there (to Arkansas), of course be a guard, play with other good players, of course win. I want to get to the NBA, and he (Calipari) feels like he's the best that does that."

John Calipari Arkansas’s head coach and assistant coach Chuck Martin were at Prolific Prep this morning visiting 5 ⭐️ elite guard Huntsville native Caleb Holt!! Coach Calipari and his staff are making a strong push to prioritize landing the Alabama phenom!! pic.twitter.com/RVHEwhA5Hd
— ThePortalScoop (@ThePortalScoop) September 29, 2025

Holt said he attended two Hoop Hog practices inside the performance center.

"The practice was intense," he said. "Coach Cal holds his guys accountable, because he really wants them to be their best. It was really intense. They got a lot of shots up. They went over a lot of their offense, and they have a fast offense.

"Watching the two basketball practices, I was really impressed with what I saw. How they moved, how Coach Cal coaches and everything."

Holt had company at practice as former Arkansas star guard, 2023 NBA Draft lottery pick, and current Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black was also in the house.

"I've known him a little bit," Holt said. "This weekend, I got to talk to him a good bit about Arkansas and everything."

Holt got a kick out his interactions with students and fans (some created Caleb Holt signs) while attending the Arkansas football team's 52-7 win over Alabama A&M at Razorback Stadium.

"The football game, they showed a lot of love," he said. "I haven't had that at a visit yet, so that was pretty cool to see."

Sources began telling us on Friday, shortly after Holt arrived in Fayetteville, that his visit was already generating positive vibes.

"Visit vibes are great!!!" was the sentiment from one source.

"Good," was the Friday take from another source.

Calipari and his Arkansas assistants were consistently courtside to watch Holt compete during the last two spring-and-summer grassroots basketball seasons (2024 and 2025) on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.

Holt told us back in May 2025 during the Adidas 3SSB session event in Bryan, Texas, that he was hoping to visit Arkansas.

"It's (Arkansas recruitment) been pretty good," Holt told us in mid-May. "I talk to Coach Cal. He's been out to see me (at Grayson high school during the 2024-25 school year) a few times. I haven't heard too much from him lately, but he's like, if I want to be a pro that's (Arkansas) the place to be.

"Yeah, I would like to visit, but I haven't talked to him about it lately. Hopefully, he'll hit me back up to get me on campus."

In addition to the Hogs' coaching staff being on the scene for his spring-and-summer grassroots hoops, Martin was on hand to watch him help Team USA win the FIBA U19 World Cup gold medal in July in Switzerland.

Holt appeared in all seven games in World Cup play, averaging 10.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.7 steals, and 2.1 assists in 17.1 minutes per outing while shooting 57.4% from the field, including a sizzling 13-of-25 from 3 for 52.0%.

Holt was a force at both ends of the court playing on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, leading his 17U Game Elite squad to the Adidas championship in mid-July.

He earned Adidas 3SSB MVP honors and averaged 19.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game.

He was also named MVP of the prestigious Adidas Euro Camp in Treviso, Italy, in June.

Holt is a strong, athletic, skilled force who is a natural two-guard with emerging lead-guard / facilitator craft, and he can be a demon defensively. He's one of the top two-way players in the nation.

NBA Draft expert Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report projects Holt as a one-and-done player at the college level and slots him as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Arkansas currently has a pledge from 2026 in-state star JaShawn "JJ" Andrews (6-6 wing, Little Rock Christian Academy, national No. 4, 5-star prospect).

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