Kentucky’s early-season buzz has not slowed its work on the recruiting trail, and the Wildcats are still in the thick of a major fight for one of the top players in the 2027 class.
The target is CJ Rosser, a 6-foot-10, 200-pound five-star power forward from Southeastern Prep in Orlando, Florida. He is ranked as the No. 2 overall player in the class, and the race for him has long looked like a two-team battle between Kentucky and North Carolina.
That picture has not changed, even with Michael Malone now leading the Tar Heels.
North Carolina was first to the table, offering Rosser in March 2025. He has since made two trips to Chapel Hill, including an unofficial visit in December 2025 and an official visit in September 2026.
Kentucky came in two months later with an offer of its own in May 2025, then got Rosser on campus for an unofficial visit in February 2026 before he returned for an official visit in October.
The Tar Heels’ pursuit has picked up extra attention because of what they’ve already added. North Carolina recently landed a commitment from five-star small forward DeMarcus Henry, which raised the obvious question of whether the staff still has enough room and resources to stay aggressive on Rosser. They are also a top contender for Serbian wing Matija Lukić.
Still, the door remains open. On3’s Joe Tipton reported that North Carolina still plans to go after Rosser hard and believes it has a real chance to land him.
Tipton also pointed to Kentucky as a major threat in the race.
“North Carolina has long been mentioned as being well-positioned for Rosser. It’s worth noting that the Tar Heels recently landed a commitment from another wing/forward in five-star DeMarcus Henry and are also a top contender for Serbian wing Matija Lukić,” Joe Tipton says. “Despite this, sources say UNC still intends to fully pursue Rosser and still have a real shot of landing him.
“Sources also believe another top school to watch for Rosser is Kentucky. Mark Pope and the Wildcats have long made him a top priority and will likely be very competitive from an NIL perspective.”
Kentucky, meanwhile, is trying to keep its momentum rolling after adding four-star center Cherif Millogo, a 7-foot-4 prospect, and opening the season 2-0. The Wildcats also have No. 15 Kansas coming up in the State Farm Champions Classic, but Rosser remains one of the biggest names on their recruiting board.
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Florida may have stumbled lately, but Stein made clear the Gators still look like a roster with enough talent to demand respect, especially with a home crowd and a chance to respond. From Kentuckys perspective, that makes the assignment straightforward and unforgiving: the Wildcats have to be better on offense, because Florida is expected to bring its best version when the teams meet. [Read more 🡒]