Jasper Johnson planning Peach Jam decision, sticking with '25 for now

We have a commitment timeline for one of Kentucky basketball’s top recruiting targets — a hometown favorite. 2025 five-star guard Jasper Johnson tells KSR he will be making a decision next summer.

“I plan on committing at Peach Jam this coming year,” the Lexington native said on Sunday AM Sports Talk. “I’ll be ready by then.”

Up first, a top ten list cut to begin narrowing things down and single out the schools prioritizing the 6-4 guard most. That will get the decision process rolling, giving him a chance to schedule visits now and find the best fit to make a commitment ahead of his senior year.

Get his recruitment taken care of now so he can focus solely on basketball before he makes the jump to college.

“By the time I plan on committing at the end of the summer, it gives me my whole senior year to focus on basketball instead of making all of these visits,” Johnson said. “By that time, I’ll be ready to commit to a school and just focus on basketball the rest of my high school career.”

Who is he feeling the most love from among the long list of schools recruiting him? The five-star recruit has picked up offers from the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Baylor, Indiana, West Virginia, LSU, Memphis, USC, Louisville and Georgia Tech, among others. He has taken officials to WVU and Tech with a recent unofficial to UK for Big Blue Madness.

As for specifics beyond that, you’ll have to see for yourself when he drops his top ten.

“It’s a couple of schools really, a lot of them are contacting me a lot and telling me I’m at the top of their list. I won’t name names — when I drop my top ten, you’ll see some schools that are prioritizing me,” Johnson said. “A lot of schools are, but I have to find the right fit for myself and a coaching staff that really believes in me, a program that needs me at the end of the day.”

How did his unofficial visit to Lexington go this past weekend? Johnson enjoyed his time at Rupp Arena and continues to build a strong relationship with the Kentucky coaching staff.

“It was a great experience. The crowd was into it, I got to see the players and see how they prepare themselves before going out for events,” he said. “I got to talk to Coach Cal a little bit afterward about my recruitment and how I’m doing at Link, he said he’ll be coming to see me soon. It was great to be there.”

Johnson, the No. 13 overall prospect and No. 1 combo guard in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking, feels the Kentucky coaching staff truly believes in his abilities and sees him as more than a basketball player — something he values.

He looks forward to continuing those conversations as he begins his high school season at Link Academy, playing a national schedule on a loaded roster.

“I’m feeling (the love) a lot,” Johnson told KSR. “Coach Cal, Orlando Antigua and Chin Coleman came to Link to see me two weeks ago, we sat down and talked for 20 minutes. Conversations are always good, they want to coach me and they believe in me a lot.

“Being able to talk to them Friday in person, we talked about a lot of things other than basketball, what Kentucky as a program brings. It’s not just basketball as a one-year deal. It’s always great to talk to Coach Cal.”

The ‘when?’ question will continue throughout his debut season at Link this winter and into the summer. Johnson is old enough to reclassify to 2024 and on pace to graduate in the spring. He knows that option is available and won’t shut down that possibility.

For now, though, he’s set on staying in 2025.

“It’s always an option, but as of right now, I think I’ll be sticking with the 2025 class,” he said. “That will help me overall, staying in ’25.”

Between his move to Link Academy, recruitment and reclass decision, it’s going to be a busy school year for the Lexington native.

Will he stay home and suit up for the Kentucky Wildcats? We’ll find out next July.