The momentum from Ryan Hampton’s commitment on Sunday morning didn’t slow down for Mark Pope!
Later that day, 4-star 2027 point guard Jaxson Davis announced on Instagram that he had received an offer from Kentucky. The 6-foot-1 guard out of Warren Township in Gurnee, Illinois, is ranked No. 42 overall in the 2027 recruiting cycle by 247 Sports and is considered the top prospect in the state of Illinois.
Davis isn’t just some name on a list. He took home his second consecutive Illinois Gatorade Player
of the Year award after a standout junior season, and he’s backed it up on the EYBL circuit this spring with MeanStreets, averaging 14.2 points, 5.2 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting nearly 39 percent from three. Some of that production came with Kentucky coaches in the building.
The offer list is crowded: Missouri, Iowa, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Purdue, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and more are all involved, so this one will take time. But one detail worth noting: Among the players Davis says he models his game after is former Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey.
With Hampton already on board, the Cats are building something in the 2027 class, perhaps the best class Pope has had in Lexington.
