Thursday Headlines: NFL Draft Begins and 2026 Recruiting Heats Up

Mark Pope and staff are busy on the recruiting trail and will a former Wildcat hear their name called tonight at the draft?

While we wait to see what Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats coaching staff decides to do with the vacated roster spot from Travis Perry’s departure, Pope and Co. are hitting the recruiting trail to meet with some top prospects in the 2026 class.

Pope, Cody Fueger, and Jason Hart made their way to Georgia yesterday to meet with Tay Kinney, the Kentucky native who is playing with Overtime Elite in Atlanta.

The 6’2 Newport native is among the top guards in the 2026 class, ranked as the 17th overall prospect by ON3.

While in Georgia, the staff also stopped in to see five-star guard Caleb Holt. The 6’5 guard with a 6’9 wingspan is ranked as a top-7 prospect and is one of the top targets for the Kentucky staff.

Alvin Brooks was out in Texas, visiting with small forward Austin Goosby. Goosby is a top-30 prospect who Brooks has met with multiple times. While an offer hasn’t been made yet, it seems like one could be on the horizon if things keep trending in a positive direction.

Another top five prospect, Christian Collins, a 6’8 forward from California, is expected to have an in-home visit with Kentucky next Tuesday.

The Kentucky coaches are certainly going after some big fish in the 2026 class. Over the next few weeks, we’ll likely start to see who the staff is prioritizing heavily in the class.

The NFL Draft gets underway tonight with the first round. The big question is: will a former Wildcat hear their name called in the first round?

It’s a little up in the air right now. Cornerback Maxwell Hairston has impressed in pre-draft workouts, running the fastest time in the 40-year-dash at the combine, and several mock drafts are projecting him near the end of the first round.

The most popular landing spots seem to be the Packers at 23 or the Eagles at 32.

Tonight’s draft should be interesting. It seems like the Titans are set to draft Cam Ward at #1, but after that, we could see a lot of different scenarios play out.

The draft gets underway at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN tonight.

Tweet of the Day

It would be awesome to see that kind of crowd again with South Carolina coming to town.

Headlines

Nic McCay Named NCBWA Co-National Pitcher of the Week – UK Athletics

A well-deserved recognition.

All-star games are a learning experience for Jasper Johnson – Vaughts Views

The practices are often more important than the games.

How Sean Woods found a home as Scott County’s coach – Herald Leader

The former Cat will lead the Scott County Basketball team.

Which NFL teams have drafted the most former Kentucky players? – Cats Pause

An interesting look at the former players of the Stoops era.

Draft night could be eventful for Will Levis again – KSR

There are some discussions of Levis being traded on draft night.

Deone Walker among underrated draft prospects – CBS Sports

Walker is being projected late in the second round or third round.

Judge delays House settlement over roster limits – ESPN

The judge said she wouldn’t approve it until changes are made.

Hall of Famer Steve McMichael passes away at 67 – Bleacher Report

Glad he got to be inducted into the HOF.

Jimmer Fredette retires – Yahoo

A college basketball legend.

Jalen Brunson voted NBA’s Clutch Player of the Year – NBC Sports

He’s been the go-to guy for the Knicks in close games.