Kentucky is the leader for the son of an NBA legend in the 2026 class according to On3

Mark Pope is looking to add some players to the 2026 recruiting class, and one of his top targets is five-star small forward Bryson Howard. The 6'5 wing has scheduled a visit to Kentucky for October 4th, and he is one of the fastest risers in the 2026 class.

Howard has gotten himself all the way up to 12 in the 247Sports composite rankings. His 6'11 wingspan gives him the ability to shoot over players, and this would make him an excellent fit for Pope at Kentucky.

On3's recruit prediction machine gives Kentucky a lead for Howard right now with a 27.4% to land the elite SF. North Carolina is the school right behind the Cats in these numbers, with a 24% chance to land the Texas native.

The visit to campus is coming up soon for Howard, and this will give Kentucky's staff a great chance to land one of the fastest risers in the 2026 class.

Howard is an elite fit in the Pope system, and hopefully, the Wildcats head coach will be able to show him this with the analytics during his visit. If Kentucky does have a small lead right now, the hope is that this visit will give the staff a chance to grow it.

Howard is a name for Big Blue Nation to pay attention to as Coach Pope starts to land 2026 talent.

Bryson Howard, son of former NBA All-Star Josh Howard, went from unranked to a 5⭐ after showing out on the EYBL 🚨👀@bryson_howard5 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/9lDFaV2NsX
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) September 8, 2025

Mar 20, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during NCAA Tournament First Round Practice at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Here is the scouting report on Howard from Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports: "Howard is a long and athletic southpaw wing who changes the game on both ends of the floor. He attacks the rim in straight lines, getting downhill and absorbing contact with a physical style. He rises up to finish above the rim and is a lob threat. He also has a translatable shooting stroke and has even shown some flashes of being able to make movement shots (45% 3pt, 75% FT), which is very unusual for someone so young (won’t turn 18 until following his high school graduation) and with such long arms (6-foot-11 wingspan). In addition to his length and physicality, Howard also has a naturally strong frame that is only going to continue to fill out. Defensively, he’s engaged, excels with his court coverage, and has good playmaking metrics (2 steals and 0.9 steals). There’s still room for him to clean up some of his angles, but he has a world of potential, both on and off the ball. Offensively, he could take his game to new levels by developing his right hand and decision-making, particularly when he’s in attack mode (1.5 assists vs. 1.9 turnovers). Overall, Howard was one of the biggest stock-risers of the grassroots season. If he can sustain the recent gains he’s shown and continue to develop on both ends of the floor, he could be one of the most intriguing long-term prospects in the class."