Will Mark Pope recruit over Malachi Moreno in the transfer portal?

Will Mark Pope be looking for a new starting center in the transfer portal?

Feb 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24), guard Jasper Johnson (2) and forward Braydon Hawthorne (right) celebrate from the bench during the second half against the Tennessee Volunteers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Heading into the 2025-26 season, many Kentucky fans didn’t anticipate Malachi Moreno having a massive role once Jayden Quaintance was back to full health, but this never happened. On top of Quaintance only playing in a few games, Moreno turned heads so quickly that he took over as the starter over Brandon Garrison very quickly into the season.

The numbers Moreno put up as a freshman surprised fans in a very positive way, and Big Blue Nation is very excited to see how much he develops over the course of the offseason. Moreno announced that he will be testing the NBA waters, but if he does return to college, he will be back at Kentucky. Most are assuming that Moreno will get his feedback and head back to Lexington for his sophomore season.

Mar 12, 2026; Nashville, TN, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) lays the ball in against the Missouri Tigers during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

The question for this offseason surrounding Moreno is whether Coach Mark Pope goes out and recruits over him at the center position. Some hear the term recruit over and assume that this is a bad thing. Moreno is going to be a star and could be an NBA player down the road, but he did struggle down the stretch of the season.

Moreno was having some issues pulling down boards, and there were some physicality issues all year long. He said himself that putting on some muscle is a big offseason goal, and with this muscle will come more physicality. This is why I think it would serve Kentucky well if Coach Pope went out and recruited a really dominant center in the portal.

Mar 7, 2026; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats center Malachi Moreno (24) passes the ball during the first half against the Florida Gators at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

This would give Moreno more time to develop, and he would still be getting around 20 minutes per game. Then, in his junior season, assuming Moreno is back in Lexington, he could take back over as the starter. Also, there is a world where Pope could recruit another center, and Moreno still is able to beat him out. Fans would love this as it would show that he developed a lot over the offseason.

With Garrison in the portal and most assuming Quaintance is heading to the NBA, Coach Pope needs to go get himself a center in the portal, and the hope is that this guy will be a veteran who plays with a ton of physicality and can defend. Pope will definitely be getting a center out of the portal. The question is whether this center is meant to start over Moreno or backup Moreno.