Kentucky Challenges UNC Basketball in a Huge Recruiting Battle for a 5-Star Phenom

UNC basketball recruiters and their counterparts at Kentucky both extended offers to five-star prospect Caleb Holt within the same week.

On Thursday night, just a few days after receiving an offer from UNC head coach Hubert Davis and his staff, Caleb Holt announced on social media that Kentucky’s Mark Pope had also entered the competition for his five-star talent.

As the early phases of the high-stakes 2026 recruiting battle begin to unfold, the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Holt—ranked No. 3 overall in the 247Sports 2026 Composite—recently announced his transfer from Buckhorn High School in Alabama to Grayson High School, the defending Georgia 7A state champion. He has now attracted interest from more than a dozen programs.

Blessed to receive an offer from The University Of Kentucky 💙 #gowildcats pic.twitter.com/NkkWsV1Ymd

— Caleb Holt (@iamcalebholt) July 26, 2024

The fact that the Tar Heels were among the first major programs to pursue Caleb Holt could boost their chances.

Additionally, Davis and his staff might rank as top contenders since the 16-year-old from Alabama has been a long-time follower of the program. Even before he became a target for Chapel Hill, the dynamic scorer and tenacious defender called UNC the closest thing he has to a “dream school.”

“I’ve been a huge fan of North Carolina basketball and Georgia football since I was young,” Holt shared with Rivals’ Rob Cassidy in December 2022. He went on to mention that his all-time favorite Tar Heel is actually his former AAU coach, Kenny Smith. “UNC is definitely my dream school, though.”

Holt is one of six up-and-coming high school juniors, including three composite five-star players, who have already received offers from the UNC basketball coaches.

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