For a minute, Christian Collins looked like one of the future faces of Kentucky basketball.
The 6-foot-8 five-star forward from St. John Bosco listed a final three of Kentucky, USC and UCLA, and most of the buzz had the Wildcats out front. He fits the modern mold perfectly: a long, fluid wing who grew seven inches in high school and plays with the versatility of a guard. Scouts have compared his frame and motor to Jarred Vanderbilt, a name that brings fond memories to Rupp Arena.
Now, however, his recruitment has reportedly been blown wide open. Kentucky is no longer seen as the team to beat and some insiders suggest they might not even be in the driver's seat anymore.
2026 top Kentucky target Christian Collins has officially reopened his recruitment, his mother confirmed to Kentucky Wildcats on SI
— Wyatt Huff (@Wildcat_wave) December 18, 2025
Collins was previously down to a top three of Kentucky, USC and UCLA. More on the situation:https://t.co/a5L4YLYZuF pic.twitter.com/ktp9n1ycPK
Mark Pope doesn’t need a super class in 2026 but he can’t whiff entirely
Back in the summer, Collins’ mom laid out a clear checklist for his college choice: a strong business program, elite strength and conditioning support, and a chance to compete for championships. That reads like a checklist Kentucky should be able to hit in its sleep.
Instead, NIL has reportedly become a major sticking point. As Collins' stock has risen, more schools have jumped in with aggressive offers, and the momentum the Cats once had has vanished.
The bigger issue? Kentucky still has zero commitments in the 2026 class.
In the portal era, you don’t need a six-man freshman haul every year. But you do need one or two kids you can develop or foundational pieces who can change a game like Koa Peat. Boosters aren’t exactly lining up to fund another massive, high-risk portal spending spree after a mixed first run with the strategy.
Right now, the 2026 board is a goose egg. No Christian Collins, no sure thing elsewhere. Just a lot of "interest" and not much ink on paper.
Mark Pope’s 2025 class of Malachi Moreno, Andrija Jelavic, Jasper Johnson and Braydon Hawthorne looks promising. But if Kentucky wants to be sustainably elite and not just a year-to-year patch job, he is going to have to prove he can win at least a couple of these high school battles again. Christian Collins was supposed to be one of those wins. Now he is looking more like a warning sign.