The Kentucky Wildcats haven’t had the best recruiting luck since Mark Pope took over, but entering his third year in Lexington this upcoming season, he’s looking to change that. Ryan Hampton is a big reason why there’s hope on the horizon for Pope. Hampton has already committed to play at Kentucky and is among the best players in the Class of 2027.
Pope really didn’t have anything going in the Class of 2026, so Hampton committing this early is a huge plus for all parties. Playing at DME Academy, the five-star recruit committed early last month, and at 6-foot-6, he’s going to provide terrific size for Pope’s front court.
He’s ranked as the second-best small forward per 247Sports, and despite sitting 11th in the nation, he’s the sixth-best player from Florida. He’s undoubtedly got ample connections across his class, and he’s planning on using those to get a couple big-name players to Lexington. He’s swung and missed on one already.
“I was trying to get Marcus (Spears Jr.), but he made a great decision. He’s my cousin, but also my best friend, so he made a great decision on that. Definitely on a journey to get some more guys, just got to wait on it,” Hampton said via Kentucky Sports Radio’s Jack Pilgrim.
Coming off the Nike EYBL Peach Jam, Hampton put on a show, and his team performed well.
Kentucky commit Ryan Hampton helps lead Nightrydas to a MASSIVE comeback win vs. Beckham Black and AB Elite
UK target Lewis Uvwo was a monster — 14 PTS, 16 REB, 5 BLK (but altered about a dozen more)
Black limited to 15 PTS (6-19 FG, 1-8 3PT)
Thriller! pic.twitter.com/ZAEoqG6KUp
— Jack Pilgrim (@JackPilgrimKSR) July 18, 2026
While the ultimate job is on Pope and Mo Williams to get these recruits, having a rising star in your court is only going to bode well for the Cats moving forward.
There’s ample opportunity as well with Hampton and Javon Bardwell (Kansas) being the only top-15 players having committed already. No top-10 player has committed in the Class of 2027.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Ryan Hampton might turn into Kentucky’s best recruiter
