How things are shaping up with Kentucky's 2023 recruiting class

It’s no secret Kentucky is one of the most feared programs on the recruiting trail, always bringing in a top-ranked class, packed with five-star talent. With the 2022 class complete for the Wildcats, let’s take a look ahead into next year’s class and see how it could be shaping up for Big Blue Nation.

First things first, Kentucky is Kentucky. The Wildcats are in a rare position that automatically makes them a leader in most recruitments they join. So sometimes it’s difficult to get a read on player’s recruitment, considering Kentucky is viewed as a favorite to nearly every player they offer.

Let’s break it down and see where things currently stand with the 2023 class.

Kentucky feeling confident at the guard position

Kentucky is off to a nice start after landing the commitment of top-25 combo guard Reed Sheppard. The Wildcats are going all-in on more guard, DJ Wagner Jr., who just so happens to be the No. 1 overall junior prospect.

If Kentucky is feeling the most confident about any recruit in the 2023 class, it’s got to be Wagner. The Camden, New Jersey native is viewed as a heavy Kentucky lean. The 6-foot-3 guard has many ties to the school, most importantly being his father, Dajuan Sr. who played for coach John Calipari while at Memphis in the early 2000s. To be the No. 1 ranked player, DJ doesn’t hold many scholarship offers. To go along with Kentucky, Memphis, Villanova, Syracuse, and Temple are the only other schools to offer. This is likely because most coaches assume he will play at the University of Kentucky and don’t wish to waste their time.

Assuming Kentucky does indeed land Wagner, Kentucky should be all set at the guard position. For more on Wagner and the Kentucky connection, read here.

Side note: Kentucky has also offered shooting guard Elijah Fisher. The Wildcats extended a scholarship to the Canadian in the summer of 2021, but it appears the interest has since dissipated. On3 spoke to Fisher in December and he said he no longer hears from the Wildcats.

For more on Fisher and his recruitment, click here.

Kentucky has a lot of options at the wing positition

Here’s where things get interesting. Kentucky has offered a total of six small forwards in the junior class – KJ Evans Jr., Mackenzie Mgbako, Mookie Cook, JJ Taylor, Justin Edwards, and Matas Buzelis.

It’s safe to say Kentucky is not messing around at the wing position, even getting each of them on campus for an official visit.

Of course, all colleges love a versatile player with size, which each of these Kentucky recruits has. With a flock of small forward prospects to choose from, the question then becomes which players does Kentucky prioritize?

To my understanding, Kentucky’s No. 1 priority at the small position is Mookie Cook. The 6-foot-7 wing has always spoken highly about John Calipari and the UK program, but Oregon, the ‘hometown school’ is bringing some stiff competition. The assumption with Cook is that his recruitment will draw to an end in the near future, and his decision, good or bad, will tell Kentucky a lot about how to proceed regarding the recruitment at the small forward position. For more on Cook’s recruitment, read here.

Matas Buzelis, Justin Edwards, and Mackenzie Mgabko are next in line for Kentucky. It’s hard to take a guess at where things will go with these three, however, Kentucky is in a solid position with them all. For Buzelis, it’s hard to see him going anywhere besides Kentucky or Duke. The same can be said for Mgbako, but I think I might give Duke a slight edge in that battle. For Edwards, Kentucky is in it deep, along with UConn and Penn State.

JJ Taylor is yet another small forward prospect that Kentucky has offered. Questions and concerns started to arise after his move to Donda Academy, and Taylor hasn’t mentioned the Wildcats in any recent interviews. For the time being, I would assume Kentucky is out of play for Taylor, but that could change if we see UK miss on several recruits.

KJ Evans Jr. is an interesting prospect because he’s more of a combo forward, that can play both the three and the four. At 6-foot-9, there is a lot to like about Evans and he might have the highest ceiling out of anyone in the 2023 class. It’s unclear where things stand with Evans because he’s nowhere near the end of his recruitment process. However, Kentucky received his first official visit but he’s also planning to make trips to Indiana and Oregon. Duke has also started to show interest.

Things unclear at the big man position

Kentucky has yet to offer a big man in the 2023 class, however, the Wildcats have shown interest in centers Baye Fall and Aaron Bradshaw, and power forward Ron Holland, all of which are names to keep an eye on.