Kentucky Basketball Eyeing Transfer Targets as Portal Window Closes
As the April 22 transfer portal deadline approaches, Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats are working to finalize their roster for the 2025–26 season.
After missing out on Lamar Wilkerson, the staff has quickly shifted focus to new targets. One emerging name is Florida State transfer wing Jamir Watkins.
According to Jeff Goodman on The Field of 68, Kentucky could soon join the mix for Watkins.
“Can I give one update on a player that no information has been out there?” Goodman said. “And this is not guessing… One source told me Jamir Watkins—three schools I’m told could be in the mix: Louisville, Kentucky, and Illinois. Duke? I don’t know if it’s going to work there. But he’s going to the highest-level schools.”
Watkins put together an impressive season with Florida State in 2024–25, averaging 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 43% from the field and 32% from three-point range.
While it’s unclear if Kentucky has the scholarship space to take on another high-level transfer, a player of Watkins’ caliber would be difficult to pass up. His recruitment remains ongoing as he tests the NBA Draft process, but he’ll be a name to watch moving into May.
Another familiar name also reentered the transfer conversation this week: former South Carolina guard Treysen Eaglestaff.
Initially linked to West Virginia, Eaglestaff’s recruitment took a turn when he decommitted from the Gamecocks. According to Gamecock Central’s Wes Mitchell, Kentucky is now a potential frontrunner. Jacob Polacheck has also confirmed the Wildcats are in the hunt.
The 6-foot-6, 190-pound guard averaged 18.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists this past season while shooting 35.9% from beyond the arc. He had several standout performances, including a 40-point outing in a narrow loss to Alabama.
Eaglestaff would bring scoring punch and size to Kentucky’s backcourt—two qualities the current roster could use. While his usage rate was high, his ability to generate offense makes him a compelling fit if the Wildcats decide to move forward.
As roster decisions take shape and the portal deadline nears, both Watkins and Eaglestaff are names to keep a close eye on.
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