The fall recruiting calendar is officially underway, and Mark Pope’s first big visitor of the cycle is already on campus.
Deron Rippey Jr., the No. 2 point guard in the 2026 class and a consensus 247sports five-star prospect, is spending the weekend in Lexington for his official visit. The New Jersey native is one of the most electric backcourt talents in the country — and Kentucky is firmly in the mix.
Rippey has also scheduled visits with Tennessee, Kansas, NC State, and Indiana, and he’s been playing it cool about any imminent decisions.