Kentucky's Tyran Stokes pursuit may have cost them another top player

The Kentucky Wildcats and coach Mark Pope have been in pursuit of top overall 2026 recruit Tyran Stokes for quite some time. They have even been the favorite to land him at certain points, but it has been a long recruitment that continues to affect how the team is being put together.

Pope and the Wildcats are being criticized for their lack of additions to the roster this offseason, and that can be tied back to their recruitment of Stokes. If they land him, they have a star, and a big chunk of their money accounted for. In the meantime, they are unable to proceed with signing other stars due to that uncertainty. Their future is being held up as they wait, and now, there are reports that they missed out on other top 2026 recruits while they wait as well.

Travis Branham of 247Sports stated that Kentucky could have landed No. 3 overall recruit Caleb Holt and maybe more. It's a statement sure to get the attention of Big Blue Nation.

Holt is a terrific talent who made multiple visits to Lexington. Had Kentucky signed him, it would have been a big win for Pope and his staff. However, if the report is correct, Pope put all of his eggs in the Stokes basket instead. If they land him, then it works out. If they miss on Stokes, though, it's a nightmare.

As of now, calling Kentucky's offseason underwhelming would be an understatement. They are in major need of some star power and someone who can be a dominant scorer. Stokes could certainly be that guy, but Holt could have too, and if they could have had Holt plus others, Pope may have misplayed things. We will continue to update this story as more develops.

This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky basketball reportedly missed on top recruit for Tyran Stokes