Mark Pope should reach out to this former Kentucky Wildcat in the transfer portal

Mark Pope should give this former Wildcat in the portal a call.

Feb 21, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; UCF Knights forward Jordan Burks (99) looks for the play against the Utah Utes during the first half at Jon M. Huntsman Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-Imagn Images | Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Power forward is the spot where Kentucky still has a ton of work to do in the transfer portal. It looks like the Wildcats are in a great spot to land James Madison PF Justin McBride, but Mark Pope would still need another power forward. One name that just hit the transfer portal is a name that will be very familiar to Big Blue Nation.

Former Kentucky Wildcat Jordan Burks just hit the transfer portal after putting up some really impressive numbers this year for UCF in the Big 12. This year for the Knights, Burks averaged 13.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and one steal per game. He shot 45.5% from the field and 37.3% from three on 4.9 attempts per game.

Mar 19, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCF Knights forward Jordan Burks (99) reacts during a practice session ahead of the first round of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Burks is 6’9 so he has the size to play in the SEC and his ability to shoot the three ball at a high level makes it to where he would be a really good fit in the Pope system. If Pope and the staff do reach out to Burks and they land him, and the staff can land McBride, this would be a really good one-two punch at the four for Kentucky.

In Burks’s lone year in Lexington, he averaged 1.9 points and 1.7 rebounds per game during the 2023-24 season, where he appeared in 20 games for the Wildcats. After his year in Kentucky playing for John Calipari, Burks transferred to Georgetown, where he averaged 5.7 points and 3.4 rebounds in 18.6 minutes per game for the Hoyas. This year in Orlando for UCF, Burks finally got a large role, and he looked really good, helping the Knights make it to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to UCLA in the Round of 64.

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; UCF Knights forward Jordan Burks (99) shoots the ball against the UCLA Bruins in the first half during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

At the four, Pope is looking for a mix of size and the ability to stretch the floor as a shooter, and clearly, Burks could be that guy for the Wildcats. He nearly shot five threes a game this year and put up a really impressive percentage at 37.3.

It was just announced that Burks will be hitting the portal, so it is still to be seen if Pope will reach out to the former Wildcat, but it would make a ton of sense. Burks could be a really good addition to this roster that needs some help in the frontcourt. Watch out for Kentucky to get involved in this recruitment over the next few hours/days.