A 2026 top prospect has included Kentucky in his top five schools

2026 five-star wing Caleb Holt has included Kentucky in his updated list of schools.

Dec 9, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope looks on during the first half against the North Carolina Central Eagles at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

One of the best players in the 2026 class has narrowed down his list, and Kentucky is included. According to On3's Joe Tipton, top five prospect Caleb Holt has Kentucky in his top five schools, along with Alabama, Arizona, Houston, and Providence.

Kentucky Wildcats on SI put out an update earlier this morning on where things stand with the staff's recruiting efforts overall, things have seemed to slip in regards to Kentucky's position with Holt. Right now, it's looking like Alabama is the leader, and they actually have a comfortable lead right now. Unlike Kentucky's other top prospects, the NIL concerns haven't been as much of a factor in Holt's recruitment, as the family is more so focused on how they fit in at each finalist, the on-court factor.

Holt's father discussed their trip to Lexington back in September wth Kentucky Wildcats on SI and what his thought's where on the visit and the team's resources, which he then compared it to the standard of the LA Lakers or the Dallas Cowboys. "I've been to many SEC establishments and they're all really nice, but Kentucky's, they have a standard like the Cowboys or Lakers in how they go about things," Holt's father told Kentucky Wildcats on SI. "It seems like they have the resources and they don't shy away from showing it in that regard."

That quote is pretty telling, and hearing it a few months later, especially with their inability to close NIL deals hurting in other recruitments, it is actiually alarming. Even if the quote is about the facilities and what they have, it is weird that they're so confident, yet are struggling to close NIL deals with these top recruits. They do so well up to the closing table, but struggling to finish things off. Holt's father told Kentucky Wildcats on SI in a recent interview that the man factor in their recruitment is fit. He discussed that in-depth.

"A big factor in the school is really, from the basketball perspective, is just fit and we're looking at personnel in terms of who they currently have on their roster and and also, in terms of projections of where that person or those people will be a year from now, and then, also just how they're utilized in their system or whatnot, so we'll be looking at that as well. But it's really more so about fit, style of play and of course, the educational component. We're really just taking our time and looking at fit and see what fits. Also, just tracking that there's consensus on how we and Caleb's camp view him as a player and how they (the school) view him as a player."

Holt and his family, given him being an Alabama native, have developed a very close relationship with head coach Nate Oats and that staff, and right now, Kentucky has been slipping, and where even seen as the leader over a month ago. It's going to be a tough hill to climb for Pope moving forward in this recruitment.