Christian Collins Reopens Recruitment, and Kentucky’s 2026 Class Is Suddenly a Question Mark
For a while, it looked like Christian Collins was heading to Lexington. The 6-foot-8 five-star forward from St.
John Bosco had Kentucky in his final three alongside USC and UCLA, and the Wildcats were widely seen as the frontrunner. Collins checks every box for today’s game - long, mobile, and versatile.
He grew seven inches during high school and moves like a guard, even at forward size. Scouts have drawn comparisons to Jarred Vanderbilt, and if you’ve watched Vanderbilt’s motor and defensive instincts, you know that’s not a name thrown around lightly in Kentucky circles.
But now, things have taken a sharp turn. Collins has officially reopened his recruitment, and according to his mother, Kentucky is no longer the team to beat. In fact, there’s real doubt about whether the Wildcats are even seriously in the mix anymore.
This development isn’t just about one recruit - it’s a potential red flag for the direction of Kentucky’s 2026 recruiting efforts. Because right now, the Wildcats don’t have a single commitment in that class.
Let’s take a step back. Over the summer, Collins’ family laid out a clear framework for what they were looking for in a program: strong academics, particularly in business; elite strength and conditioning support; and a real shot at competing for championships.
On paper, that’s a profile Kentucky should match without breaking a sweat. But this is college basketball in the NIL era, and that’s where things reportedly got complicated.
As Collins’ stock rose, more programs jumped into the mix - and they came with serious NIL offers. That early momentum Kentucky had?
Gone. And with it, one of the most promising pieces of the 2026 puzzle.
Now, to be fair, Mark Pope doesn’t need a monster freshman class every year. The transfer portal has changed the game - you can reload fast if you’re savvy.
But you still need a few high school recruits who can be long-term pieces, guys you can develop or build around. Think Koa Peat-type impact.
And more importantly, you need to show you can still win those battles on the trail.
Right now, Kentucky’s 2026 board is empty. No Collins.
No firm leans elsewhere. Just a lot of interest, a lot of conversations - and no commitments.
That’s not ideal, especially when boosters are watching closely. After a portal-heavy approach in Pope’s first cycle that delivered mixed results, there’s less appetite for another all-in gamble on transfers.
The 2025 class - Malachi Moreno, Andrija Jelavic, Jasper Johnson, and Braydon Hawthorne - looks solid, with a nice blend of upside and fit. But if Kentucky wants to get back to being sustainably elite, not just patching holes year to year, it has to start winning some of these high school recruiting battles again.
Christian Collins was supposed to be one of those wins - a foundational piece, a statement pull. Instead, his recruitment reopening is a reminder that in this new era of college hoops, nothing is guaranteed. Not even for Kentucky.