Mark Pope is wasting no time getting Kentucky basketball’s 2025–26 recruiting calendar rolling. This weekend in Lexington, the Wildcats will welcome two key members of the 2026 recruiting class for official visits: four-star forward Maximo Adams and five-star guard Caleb Holt.
The timing couldn’t be better — their visits align with Kentucky football’s high-profile home game against No. 20 Ole Miss on Saturday at Kroger Field, adding to the energy around campus.
Maximo Adams: A Familiar Connection
At first, Adams was expected to be the lone visitor. The 6-foot-7 small forward from Sierra Canyon (California) has been on the radar of nearly every powerhouse program. He recently cut his list of schools to 11, including Kentucky, Duke, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina, Michigan State, USC, Purdue, Illinois, Washington, and Arizona State.
Adams already visited USC over the summer and has a packed fall ahead: Michigan State next week, Kansas the week after, Texas to follow, with North Carolina and Duke later this fall.
Recruiting analysts see him as a versatile, two-way wing with a deep scoring bag and the physicality to rebound and create mismatches. The 247Sports Composite ranks him No. 99 overall in the 2026 class.
Adams also has ties to Mark Pope. His older brother, Marcus Adams Jr., played under Pope at BYU before injuries derailed his freshman season. Pope and longtime assistant Cody Fueger, who spearheaded Marcus’ recruitment, are once again heavily involved in this process.
Caleb Holt: A Rising Superstar
The weekend’s second visitor, Caleb Holt, has been on a whirlwind tour of top programs. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard, ranked No. 6 nationally in 2026, just visited Arkansas and John Calipari last week. He’ll also see Alabama and Auburn in October after spending time at Ole Miss earlier this year.
Holt will play his senior season at Prolific Prep, which recently relocated to Florida. Known for his leadership and defensive edge, Holt has also built a reputation as a slashing scorer and fearless rebounder. His stock rose even further this summer after starring on the Adidas 3SSB circuit, where he helped Game Elite win the championship.
Internationally, Holt has already built chemistry with future Wildcats. He played alongside Tyran Stokes, Jordan Smith, and Jayden Quaintance with Team USA in multiple FIBA events, including this summer’s U19 World Cup in Switzerland, which Mark Pope attended in person.
Kentucky’s Recruiting Push in 2026
This weekend marks just the beginning of a busy fall for Kentucky. Pope and his staff have extended offers to 20 uncommitted players in the 2026 class, with 12 already set to visit Lexington. Upcoming visitors include Cole Cloer, Anthony Thompson, Arafan Diane, Cam Williams, Deron Rippey Jr., Christian Collins, Bryson Howard, Ethan Taylor, Josh Irving, and Jordan Smith.
So far, only three players from the 2026 class have made college commitments — Jason Crowe Jr. (Missouri), JJ Andrews (Arkansas), and Elijah Williams (Baylor). Kentucky is still looking for its first pledge in this group.
Recruiting officially reopened this week, giving coaches a long runway until April, aside from a few dead periods. Already, Pope and his staff have been on the road checking in with key targets, including Tay Kinney, Rippey, Baba Oladotun, and Diane.
With Adams and Holt headlining the first weekend, the Wildcats are setting the tone early for what promises to be a defining stretch in Pope’s first full recruiting cycle at Kentucky.
