Kentucky offers a top 10 prospect in the 2027 class

Kentucky had a handful of recruits on official and unofficial visits, including top targets in 2026 Caleb Holt (unofficial), Jordan Smith (official), and Josh Irving (official), as well as 2027 recruits Reese Alston (unofficial), Dawson Battie (unofficial), and 2028 in-state top prospect Boogie Cook (unofficial). The Kentucky staff has already made significant progress with both Holt and Smith, but their relationship with Battie made significant progress over the weekend.

After Battie took in the incredible atmosphere at Big Blue Madness, the Kentucky staff wasted no time extending an offer to the fringe top 10 prospect from the 2027 class, as it sure made his trip from Texas worth it. The 6-8 forward is still in the feeling out process of his recruitment obviously, as he has not taken any official visits yet, but he's already receiving interest from a number of top programs, including in-state schools Houston, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Texas, as well as LSU, Missouri, Maryland, Ole Miss, and Oklahoma State, among others.

It's early in the 6-8 forward's recruitment, as more and more schools will continue to join the fold to try and land one of the best forwards in the entire class. As of right now, Battie said in a recent interview with On3's Jamie Shaw that he is hearing most from in-state programs Houston and Texas. As for other contenders, it seems Maryland is also maintaining consistent contact with Battie. The in-state schools will definitely play a big role in Battie's recruitment, but with a prospect as elite as he is, expect some, or all, of the blue bloods to come calling.

Battie also has some basketball history in his family, as his father, Derrick Battie, played at Temple from 1992-96, while his uncle, Tony Battie, played in the NBA after being drafted #5 overall in the 1997 NBA Draft, playing 15 seasons in his career in the league. As far as what Kentucky can do in this recruitment, they could end up being a top contender if the interest remains high and mutual, given assistant coach Alvin Brooks' ties with the state, as he was a former assistant coach at Baylor before his time at Kentucky. In that time, he earned a National Championship, as well as helping Baylor be one of the best programs in the country for a few years in that span.

Could Brooks' Texas ties help Kentucky land one of the top forwards in 2027? It's too early to tell, but Kentucky didn't waste time extending an offer on his visit.

After a conversation with coach Pope i’m grateful and blessed to say I’ve received an offer from the university of Kentucky! #GoWildcats #kentuckybasketball pic.twitter.com/cvpVsFFtZ6
— Slim #5🛸 (@DawsonBattie) October 12, 2025