Mark Pope hasn’t landed a commitment yet in the 2026 recruiting class, and while he’s not chasing five-star freshmen with the same urgency as his predecessor, the Kentucky faithful are starting to feel the tension. That pressure could spike even higher on Friday, when five-star guard Jordan Smith is set to announce his college decision.
Smith, a 6-foot-2 guard out of Fairfax, Virginia, is the No. 3 overall recruit in the 2026 class - the kind of talent that can shift the trajectory of a program. Kentucky is still in the mix, along with Duke, Syracuse, Indiana, and Georgetown. But the buzz around the recruiting world points toward Arkansas, where John Calipari is building something familiar - and formidable.
Calipari, now in Fayetteville, hasn’t changed much about his approach. He’s still banking on elite freshmen, and it’s already paying off.
Last season, Arkansas reached the Sweet 16 - something Cal hadn’t done with Kentucky since 2019. This year, the Razorbacks are ranked No. 21 in the country and tied with Kentucky for second place in the SEC with an 8-3 conference mark.
That success has been driven in large part by a pair of standout freshmen, Darius Acuff Jr. and Meleek Thomas, both of whom have lived up to the hype.
Now, Calipari appears poised to add another blue-chip talent in Smith, who would become his second five-star signee in the 2026 class. The first, 6-foot-6 wing JJ Andrews from Little Rock, has already signed on the dotted line.
It wasn’t long ago that Kentucky was seen as a serious contender for Smith - and for fellow five-star Caleb Holt. But the Wildcats have lost ground in both battles. Alabama looks like the frontrunner for Holt, while Arizona has surged late to make things interesting.
Zooming out, six of the top 10 players in the 2026 class - per the 247Sports Composite Rankings - are still uncommitted. That includes Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 overall prospect and a Kentucky native.
At one point, it looked like Stokes might be a lock for the Wildcats. Now, Kansas is leading that race.
Pope has leaned heavily on the Transfer Portal to build a veteran-laden roster, and that strategy has paid dividends this season. Kentucky has shown real depth, managing to stay competitive despite injuries to key players like Jayden Quaintance, Jaland Lowe, and Kam Williams. That resilience speaks to the strength of Pope’s system and his ability to plug in experienced talent.
Still, optics matter in Lexington. And if Kentucky ends up empty-handed in the 2026 high school class - especially with Calipari reloading in Arkansas - it’s going to sting. Pope may not live and die by five-star freshmen, but in a place like Kentucky, missing out on elite recruits never goes unnoticed.