The latest on Kentucky basketball's recruiting efforts in the 2026 class

The signing period for the 2026 class has come and gone and Kentucky still doesn't have a single commit wrapped up. Kentucky has already failed to close the deal with a number of recruits, including even being in their final list cut, but coming just short of getting things done. Many have questioned Kentucky's ability to get NIL deals done with recruits, and that has really started to impact how they're doing on the recruiting trail.

Now, Kentucky has just three top targets remaining that they're going after, and by now it's clear: Tyran Stokes, Caleb Holt, and Christian Collins. Here is the latest we're hearing with all three of Kentucky's big targets.

Tyran Stokes - #1 overall prospect

Starting off with Stokes, Kentucky was once seen as the overwhelming favorite, but the Wildcats have slipped significantly recently, as the big push from Kansas has put them in the lead. Things have gone quiet with Stokes since his high school move, but that’s when things started trending down for Kentucky. They have some big ground to make up, but with all of the NIL concerns as of late and Kansas still continuing their hard push, it’s hard to see things working out in Kentucky’s favor right now. On3's Joe Tipton even said last week that a return visit to Kansas isn't out of the question, either, so there's that.

Caleb Holt - #3 overall prospect

Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but Kentucky is losing ground with a top prospect. Similar to the tone of this article, the same goes for Holt. Kentucky is not in deep waters like they are with Stokes, but Kentucky has lost the lead with this top 5 prospect, With Alabama having the momentum right now. It's worth noting that Holt is a native of Alabama, now playing at Prolific Prep in Florida. Luckily, Holt doesn’t plan on announcing anytime soon, so the Wildcats could still turn it around, and unlike the other top guys we’re discussing, Holt isn’t hinging as much on NIL, as he’s more so focused on the fit. Holt’s father recently told Kentucky Wildcats on SI that they will be taking in a ‘sample size’ of games from his finalists, seeing how they run things.

Christian Collins - #10 overall prospect

There’s nothing new with Collins that we didn’t already dive into late last week. Kentucky looked to be clear in the drivers seat a month ago, but the tone has changed the last few weeks. Kentucky was the clear favorite, but now, things have cooled between the two, and Kentucky’s issue with closing NIL deals looks to be the blame. Kentucky is going to have to act soon, or it will be too late, because a school like USC, who is also a top contender for Collins has been known to not be afraid to be blunt about large NIL amounts.

Is Mark Pope going to land at least one of these top prospects, or will Pope continue to whiff on the recruiting trail? Things aren't looking good right now for any of them, and the options for others have dwindled a lot. Unless Kentucky can beat out Duke or Arkansas for top-three prospect Jordan Smith Jr., which is not looking likely, as the Wildcats haven't generated any buzz with him, there really isn't much else left that could satisfy Big Blue Nation on the high school recruiting front.