By: Casey Madison (@BleedBlueCasey on X/Twitter) | Photo Credit @TWonderD (On X/Twitter)
One of the top prospects in the 2026 class, Caleb Holt (#3/247 composite), will be in Lexington next weekend for his second visit to Kentucky during Big Blue Madness, and the timing couldn’t be more revealing. Until recently, Alabama and Auburn were seen as the primary frontrunners for Holt. As a Georgia-based guard with deep Southern ties, Holt had official visits scheduled to both SEC programs and was strongly connected to each program.
But two things just changed that narrative in a major way.
Alabama “Fading” In The Recruitment of Holt?
Alabama recently picked up commitments from two four-stars in Tarris Bouie and Christopher Washington Jr. that’s not necessarily bad news and doesn’t completely put them out of the picture, but it could raise some questions about Holt’s potential usage in a potentially crowded recruiting class.
More importantly, Alabama has never been an NIL-heavy program in basketball specifically, at least not on the level of other major contenders. With other schools being able to offer more competitive packages and still having time to shape their recruiting class, Alabama may have quietly slid down Holt’s board, even with the strong on-court appeal and proven history of elite guards in recent years.
Auburn Loses Bruce Pearl, Loses Momentum
The even bigger domino? Bruce Pearl’s departure from Auburn.
Pearl was a significant figure in Holt’s recruitment. Not much to say here, the head coach of an elite program in recent years that resonated with Holt’s camp is now gone. Holt canceled his scheduled Auburn visit, and that is a major blow to the Tigers’ chances.
Without Pearl, Auburn loses not just a recruiter, but the very identity that made them appealing to a prospect like Holt.
Kentucky Taking Advantage
Enter Kentucky.
The Wildcats have been in the mix for a very long time. Offering Caleb Holt back in July of 2024, visiting him on 3 different occasions, and recently completed an official visit to Kentucky this summer, they have always been heavy involved in this recruitment. The unofficial visit during Big Blue Madness marks a serious power move. It’s not an official visit, but the significance is real: Holt and his camp want to feel the culture and the energy of a reloaded Kentucky program under Coach Mark Pope.
“We’re looking for long-term fit, culture, and how Caleb would really be used, not just hype,” Holt’s father told Sports Illustrated earlier in July this summer when discussing a visit.
Big Blue Madness gives them exactly that. An unfiltered view of what Kentucky basketball looks and feels like.
With Alabama slipping, Auburn scrambling, and Kentucky presenting both stability and upside, Caleb Holt’s recruitment may be shifting in real time.
This weekend in Lexington could prove pivotal — not just for where Holt eventually lands, but for how the 2026 recruiting class begins to take shape nationally.
