The transfer portal simply never sleeps, does it? After what seemed like a full week of Mark Pope and Kentucky closing in on Mark Mitchell, the Wildcats are beginning to allocate resources to another target: Jaxon Kohler. The Michigan State transfer has a Zoom meeting with Kentucky today, per Jack Pilgrim, representing a potential end to Pope's summer recruiting search.
As the aforementioned Mitchell awaits a fifth year of eligibility to be granted in court, Kohler is a step ahead. Having officially entered the transfer portal yesterday, the big man is now free to contact and recruit. Kentucky securing a meeting this quickly should tell the BBN everything they need to know.
This is a serious pursuit for the Wildcats. It's unclear what the momentum is looking like in Mitchell's case at the moment. Even more unclear, however, is how long Kentucky will be willing to wait if Kohler joining the roster is truly on the table.
Kentucky has scheduled a Zoom with Jaxon Kohler, @JackPilgrimKSR reports. https://t.co/2VxVfpkcYh pic.twitter.com/eo1ddB7G2F
— KSR (@KSRonX) August 19, 2026
We're in the middle of what is essentially a recruiting duel. Only, Coach Pope is in the middle of the two parties, and he chooses who gets the only sword.
Mark Pope has a massive decision to make for Kentucky
It's necessary to point out that BYU has been seen as a popular frontrunner for Kohler, given him being from Utah. But alongside the Cougars, Kohler listed Kansas, Louisville, and of course Kentucky as potential landing spots.
Assuming Keyshawn Hall is entirely out of the picture now - which may not even be true - Kohler and Mitchell are the two primary candidates for Kentucky's final roster spot.
It appears likely at this point that Pope is able to pull one into blue and white territory. Which one he ends up with will drastically change this team either way, and who you prefer comes down to little more than preference. These are both incredible options for Kentucky at this stage.
Both Kohler and Mitchell are great options for Kentucky
Kohler is a more physical paint presence, nearly averaging a double-double in his senior season with the Spartans. Kohler also shot a compelling 38.9% from long range last year.
Compare that to Mitchell, who is as pure a scoring threat as they come. He averaged more points than Kohler (18.3 to 12.5) but less rebounds (5.2 to 8.9). Mitchell also shot nearly the exact same percentage from three (38.8%) with Missouri.
This thing could really go either way. With a Zoom call happening today, Kohler becomes the more immediate target to watch for momentum. But if that call comes and goes and Mitchell is cleared in his Louisville court case this weekend, the latter will likely remain the go-to option.
Decisions, decisions for Mark Pope.
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