Mark Pope has the No. 1 Ranked Recruiting Class in America

But can Mark Pope recruit? Even after Big Blue Nation was swept up in nostalgia at his introductory press conference, that question was unavoidable. It even lingered after Pope brought an impressive transfer portal haul to Lexington. Less than five months later, there’s proof that the new Kentucky head coach has recruiting chops.

Following the commitment of Jasper Johnson — who picked the Cats over Alabama, Arkansas, Louisville, and North Carolina — Kentucky has the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in America, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. The Cats’ 2025 class is just ahead of Arkansas, who is coached by Pope’s predecessor.

Mark Pope cashed in with atypical homegrown talent. The state of Kentucky produced a pair of Top 25 players in the 2025 class who grew up just a few minutes away from Rupp Arena. Johnson decided to follow in his father’s footsteps to Kentucky and team up with Malachi Moreno, who committed to the Cats last month.

“Being from Kentucky, it means a lot,” Johnson said during his announcement ceremony. “There’s a lot of pride on the line with the name on the front of the jersey. I’m really excited about my decision and I’m ready to get started and represent Kentucky.”

Johnson is the No. 12 player in America and the fourth-ranked shooting guard. The 6-foot-11 Moreno is considered the top-ranked center in his class and the No. 25 overall prospect. They will join two other homegrown players, Trent Noah and Travis Perry, in Lexington next season.

Obviously, these rankings will change quite a bit between now and signing day. It is probably wise to bet against Kentucky finishing at the top-ranked spot, but Pope’s work is far from complete.

Kentucky has put itself in a great position with shooting guard Braylon Mullins and earlier this week five-star forward Chris Cenac scheduled his official visit to Kentucky. Those are just a couple of Kentucky targets Pope is pursuing to prove to Big Blue Nation that he can recruit the best of the best.

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