Kentucky’s run at Chase Lumpkin is over before it really got rolling.
The 6-foot-4 combo guard from McEachern in Georgia, one of the summer’s biggest risers, announced Wednesday that he is headed to Alabama, choosing Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide over a list that included Kentucky, Arkansas, Louisville, Michigan and USC.
“Alabama just felt like the right fit for me and my family,” he told Rivals’ Joe Tipton. “I really connected with Coach Oats, Coach (Preston) Murphy, and the whole staff.
They’ve always kept it real with me and made me feel like they genuinely wanted me there. … When I put everything together, Alabama just felt like home, and I knew it was where I wanted to be.”
Lumpkin had previously trimmed his recruitment to six schools, with Kentucky among the finalists. Instead of landing in Lexington, he’ll now line up against the Wildcats in the SEC.
According to the Rivals Industry Ranking, Lumpkin checks in as the No. 26 overall recruit in the 2027 class and the No. 9 point guard.
For Kentucky, the focus has already shifted. Mark Pope opened the fall recruiting period on Wednesday by visiting five-star guard Nasir “Rudy” Anderson at Prolific Prep in Florida, where he was also alongside Anderson’s five-star center teammate Lewis Uvwo.
Uvwo is scheduled to be on campus this weekend for an official visit from Sept. 11-13 when UK football hosts Alabama in Lexington. Anderson has his own trip to Kentucky set for Oct.
5-7. Both are major priorities for the Wildcats as the early signing period approaches.
Kentucky is still in the mix for five-star guard Reese Alston, too. Cayden Daughtry, NaVorro Bowman Jr. and Beckham Black all have offers from the Wildcats, though they are trending away from UK.
Zoom Diallo and Mason Williams also remain names to keep in mind, since both have multiple years of eligibility left and could be part of the picture in Lexington in 2027-28 and beyond.
For now, though, Anderson is the one to watch. Kentucky can afford to be selective at the position, but Pope’s staff is clearly pushing hard to make him the next backcourt target.
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Alabamas side of the ledger looks shakier, with a cluster of injuries leaving multiple players in question before kickoff. Among the names to watch are wide receiver Noah Rogers and offensive lineman Michael Carroll, two important pieces whose status could affect both how the Crimson Tide attack and how much protection they can provide when the game gets here. [Read more 🡒]