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Kentucky will host an elite five-star 2026 guard on an official visit in September
Mar 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; The Kentucky Wildcats mascot performs in the first half during a Midwest Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Mark Pope is pushing after an elite guard in the 2026 class, and that is five-star Caleb Holt. Some believe Holt has the highest upside in this entire class and that he will be a top ten pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

Holt told KSR that he will take an official visit to Lexington from September 5th through the 7th. After the news that Jason Crowe Jr. is likely heading to Missouri, Coach Pope is heating up the recruitment of Holt.

The 6'5 200-pound guard is hearing from Auburn, Alabama, and Kansas a lot on top of Kentucky, so many believe he will pick one of these schools.

Holt is going to be a star, and Kentucky fans would love to see him play his college hoops in Lexington. A decision is likely a ways away for Holt, so Coach Pope is in this for the long haul.

Here is the scouting report on Holt from Adam Finkelstein of 247Sports, "Holt is physically imposing on the perimeter because he’s strong and athletic with a consistently high motor. He’s competitive, plays hard, and imposes his will on both ends of the floor. He also has solid perimeter size and length at 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. He’s a downhill attacker who plays through contact and has decisive burst on his way to the rim and finishing at the cup. He came up the ranks as a natural wing, but is working to evolve into more of a true guard, and getting the opportunity to play with the ball in his hands and initiate offense pretty regularly at Grayson. You can see he clearly tries to make all the right plays with the ball, but is still working on some offensive nuances. His three-point shooting is inconsistent, with a notably wide base, but he’s got some definite mid-range weapons in addition to his ability to pressure the rim. Defensively, he can be a true standout, utilizing his physical tools to make plays, guard multiple positions, and then rising up for rebounds."


This article first appeared on Kentucky Wildcats on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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