Kentucky has received a crystal ball to land a surprising 2026 five-star forward

Mark Pope is looking to add a five-star in the 2026 class.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope questions a call of blocking on the Cats while they take on Nicholls in the first half at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky Nov. 4, 2025. | Matt Stone/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It is starting to get down to the wire for the 2026 basketball recruiting class, and Mark Pope has yet to land any players. It sounds like that could change soon, as the reliable recruiting expert Travis Branham just put in a crystal ball for the Wildcats to land a five-star.

That player is 6'8 200-pound power forward Christian Collins, who plays his high school hoops at St. John Bosco. It seemed like the Wildcats were going to land Tyran Stokes for a while, but now, out of nowhere, the Wildcats have taken the lead for Collins.

Collins is ranked as the seventh-best player in the 2026 class according to 247Sports composite rankings. He has some room to improve when it comes to shooting the ball, but Collins is an athletic freak who is going to be special for whichever team he plays for.

Oct 30, 2025; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope claps on the sideline during the second half against the Georgetown Hoyas at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

It is getting late in the class, and it does sound like Collins will be committing sooner than later. It's not a done deal yet, but Coach Pope has the Wildcats in a great spot, so all he needs to do now is finish.

Coach Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are in the running for a handful of top ten players in the 2026 class, so it will be fun for Big Blue Nation to watch this class come together. This 2026 Kentucky class could go from empty to loaded with five stars within the next few weeks.

Here is the scouting report on Collins from Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports: "Collins is one of the more talented long-term prospects in the national class. At 6-foot-8, he’s long (7-foot-plus wingspan), mobile, and a very fluid mover. He covers the court extremely well, has an elastic body type, and is a good vertical athlete who can jump off either one or two feet, and then has a quick second bounce. Collins is at his best when he’s flying around the court, asserting himself on the glass (8.3 rebounds in the EYBL), being active defensively, communicating, and playing with the high motor to maximize his physical tools. As he continues to fill-out his frame, get stronger, learn the nuances of defensive angles and close-outs, there’s still significant un-tapped upside on that end of the floor. He already guards multiple positions, and has the athleticism to erase mistakes, but there’s potential for both extreme versatility on-the-ball and real playmaking ability as a help-side defender."