Kentucky targets 2027 class as recruiting never sleeps
The 2026 class remains wide open for Mark Pope, but the Wildcats are already building a foundation for 2027.
After a busy July recruiting circuit, Kentucky extended a wave of offers to rising high school stars who match Pope’s style—length, versatility, and upside.
The 2027 targets include: Baba Oladotun, a 6-foot-9 forward from Maryland’s James Hubert Blake High School. The top national prospect in 2027, Oladotun is raw but gifted—think long frame, smooth handle, and high-level switchability. He’s got 35+ offers, and he may reclassify to 2026.
Pope also offered a pair of long forwards from Southeastern Prep in Orlando: CJ Rosser (6-9) and Obinna Ekezie Jr. (7-0). Both are top-5 prospects at their positions and project as elite rim protectors and vertical lob threats in Pope’s spacing system.
5⭐️’s Ryan Hampton and Marcus Spears Jr. just led Drive Nation 16U to a Peach Jam spot with a win over Team Mookie Betts 🍑🚨@NikeEYB @DriveNation_Dfw @ryhamp14 @Mspearsjr pic.twitter.com/gJNJrmST3B
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) July 14, 2025
And don’t overlook Marcus Spears Jr. from Dynamic Prep in Dallas. At 6-foot-8 with elite bounce and two-way potential, Spears fits the “positionless athlete” mold Pope covets. His offer list includes Texas, Baylor, and Duke—but Kentucky’s presence signals a battle to the end for Spears Jr.
Meanwhile, in the 2026 class, Kentucky made waves by offering 6-foot-10 big man Josh Irving, who recently led Team CPSA to a Puma NXTPro league title. Ranked No. 75 nationally by the 247 Composite, Irving has bluebloods circling after a breakout July. He’s locked in an official visit to SMU and is drawing attention from Kansas, Washington, and of course, Louisville.
Another name to know: Ethan Taylor, a 7-foot, 230-pound center from Link Academy and the No. 2-ranked big man in the 2026 class per Rivals. Kentucky offered this week, joining a loaded list of suitors that includes Oklahoma, Kansas State, Missouri, and Florida State. His recruitment is expected to heat up this fall.
Whether it’s 2026 or 2027, one thing is clear: Mark Pope and his staff don’t wait for the calendar. They go get guys.
At Kentucky, recruiting never sleeps. And under Pope, it just never slows down.