Jasper Johnson talks with Kentucky "every day", reclassifying still an option

Even though Jasper Johnson grew up in Lexington and his dad played football for the Wildcats, he’s not a lock to play his college basketball at Kentucky by any means. That’s what happens when you’re considered one of the top 15 best high school players in your class though — programs from all over the country will be recruiting you.

That being said, Kentucky is certainly among the early contenders for Johnson, a 6-foot-4 combo guard who currently plays at Link Academy in Missouri. The former Woodford County star, ranked No. 12 in the 2025 class by the On3 Industry Ranking, holds over two dozen Divison I scholarships at this point. UK extended an offer back in May and he’s since taken multiple visits to campus, most recently stopping by for Big Blue Madness in October.

Last week in Fort Myers, FL, Johnson and Link Academy suited up in the annual City of Palms Classic. On3’s Joe Tipton was there to soak in the action, and he had the chance to talk with Johnson about his recruitment. Kentucky was one of three schools that Johnson discussed with Tipton.

“Coach Orlando (Antigua) reaches out to me probably every day,” Johnson told On3. “He wants me to come back home for my college season. They’re planning for me to be there for 9 months and then off to the NBA and that’s what I really want to do in college. I feel like if that’s the best option then it could be there, but if it’s somewhere else, then it could be somewhere else.

“(Coach Calipari) is definitely a good coach. I see how they’re playing multiple guards this year and how they’re making it work.”

Jasper Johnson, the No. 1 combo guard in 2025, discusses his college recruitment and talks recent visits to Missouri, WVU, and Kentucky.

The 6-4 junior also addresses the option to reclassify while listing a few more schools he'd like to visit: https://t.co/dUSZ7l3cEe pic.twitter.com/86xXogByr1

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) December 26, 2023

Johnson also talked with Tipton about his growing relationships with Missouri and West Virginia — the only two schools he has officially visited so far. UK and Georgia Tech recently received unofficial visits. Johnson tells Tipton that he intends to take additional official visits to the likes of Kentucky, North Carolina, Southern California, Alabama, Baylor, and Auburn.

Reclassification remains on the table for Johnson, as well. He’s long been rumored as a potential 2024 reclass candidate but tells Tipton that, for now, the plan is to stick to 2025.

“All my schools are open to me reclassing to 2024, but as of right now, I think I’ll be staying in the 2025 class,” Johnson said. “Reclassing up is an option, but I think I will probably stay in 2025.”

Johnson and Link Academy posted a 2-2 record while in Fort Myers. They won the first two games against North Mecklenburg (NC) and Columbus (FL) — the latter featuring the Boozer twins of Cameron and Cayden — before falling to Long Island Lutheran (NY) and Paul VI (VA) to close out the event.

During those four games, Johnson averaged 14.0 points per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 8-27 (29.6 percent) from long range.