The transfer portal was already impossible to predict before fifth-year seniors starting entering in the middle of August. While Kentucky waits on All-SEC transfer Mark Mitchell's eligiblity to be figured out in court, another Mark Pope target is officially on the market. Immediately after the news that Jaxon Kohler is in the portal went, public, Kentucky was dubbed "the one to watch" by Jeff Goodman.'
BYU being the frontrunner for Kohler, the Michigan State four-man, is not new news. Kohler is from Utah, making the Cougars the obvious candidate for his commitment from the beginning. However, Kohler himself also listed Kentucky, Kansas, and Louisville as contenders, per Jon Rothstein.
As Goodman noted, Pope and Kentucky haven't been able to talk to Kohler until now, when he entered the portal. But with that door wide open and an open roster spot calling in Lexington, you better believe that Pope will give his former school a run for their money here.
Sounds like BYU is the frontrunner as of today for Jaxson Kohler - but it will be interesting to see if any other programs can make up ground now that everyone is allowed to speak with the former Michigan State big man.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) August 18, 2026
Kentucky obviously the one to watch - but Mark Pope hasn’t…
We also can't forget Kohler's father teaming up with the Big Blue Nation on social media to dunk on Tennessee fans. That has to count for something.
Kentucky must play their cards with Jaxon Kohler
Whether or not Kentucky should prioritize the aforementioned Mitchell over Kohler is another question entirely. With eligibility up in the air and the clock winding down fast to fall hoops, even Auburn's Keyshawn Hall remains in the picture if it comes down to the Wildcats making sure someone gets picked up.
In the case of Kohler, Coach Pope has to make sure he at least plays the field. The four-year Spartan is far too talented for Kentucky to let him slip through the cracks completely.
Beyond that, he's also a fair enough fit within Kentucky's system that he almost demands serious consideration. The dude can do everything that Pope generally asks of a big man.
Kohler is exactly the kind of big man Mark Pope loves
In his senior season with Michigan State, Kohler averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per contest. That's nearly a double-double every night, and he shot 38.9% from three in the process, too. He'd be suited to click into an Amari Williams role, passing from the perimeter and stretching defenses out to the line.
Adding Mitchell would bolster Kentucky's physicality and pure scoring ability, while Kohler would appear to be a more traditional running mate to Malachi Moreno in the starting lineup.
It's almost too difficult to choose between the two, which is the unenviable position that Mark Pope currently finds himself in. His ultimate decision may come down to eligibility and timing, but for the time, we're looking at a split between two possible starters on the cusp of September.
College basketball recruiting is changing at a breakneck pace, and Kentucky remains at the ever-confusing front of it.
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