2026 fast-rising big man Josh Irving talks recent Kentucky offer and recruitment

Irving recently earned an offer from Kentucky as his recruitment explodes.

Mar 13, 2025; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope gives instructions to his team against the Oklahoma Sooners during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Kentucky recently offered a stock-rising prospect in the 2026 class in Josh Irving last Tuesday, before he then quickly scheduled a visit to Lexington for Big Blue Madness, with his visit running from Oct. 10-12. Irving has seen his stock rise as of late and many schools have began taking notice.

The 6-10 big man spoke with Kentucky Wildcats on SI to talk about his new relationship with the Kentucky staff along with his overall recruitment.

As far as his Kentucky interest goes, the relationship is basically new, as some of the other top schools that have recently got involved. Irving says he has quickly developed a 'very solid relationship' with the Kentucky staff, as he is in regular contact with most of the staff. "I have a very solid relationship with Kentucky as I’ve talked to most of their staff and I text them regularly and pretty much the same with other schools."

The 6-10 big man has been on a wild ride lately in his overall recruitment, with a ton of top programs getting involved. Irving has received interest from programs such as Kentucky, Kansas, USC, Louisville, Texas A&M, with other offers as well, including TCU, Arizona State, San Diego State, SMU and Washington, among others. There is plenty of buzz with USC given him being a Pasadena native, but it's very early as other top programs have just recently began taking notice in him.

Who is recruiting Josh Irving the hardest?

As for those recruiting him the hardest, Irving didn't dive into specific programs, saying all of them have been recruiting him hard. "They all see potential in me," Irving told Kentucky Wildcats on SI. Irving has seven visits lined up in the near future along with the one to Kentucky, including an Diego State (Aug. 21-23), SMU (Aug. 29-31), Kansas (Sept. 12-14), Louisville (Sept. 19-21), Texas A&M (Sept. 27-29) and USC (Oct. 17-19).

What is Josh Irving looking for in a school?

Irving discussed what he is looking for in a school as his recruitment continues to boom by the day. "I’d say the most important factor being development as I want to keep taking leaps and bounds in my game to maybe get ready to play in the pros one day," he told Kentucky Wildcats on SI.

The Kentucky staff certainly is looking like they're moving quickly with Irving, and with the amount of schools continuing to join the fold. the four-star stock-rising big man has plenty on his plate to think about as his recruitment moves on.