Jayden Quaintance injury update: Mark Pope reveals latest timeline on new Kentucky star's recovery

One of the biggest questions going into next season in the bluegrass is the health of the top transfer addition for Kentucky with Arizona State’s Jayden Quaintance. Now, with the program announcing his signing officially, Mark Pope has commented on when the Wildcats expect him back on the court following his ACL tear.

Pope spoke about Quaintance, including his injury and the timetable for his return next season, in an interview with Jon Rothstein at CBS Sports. He said they’re going to do all they can to get him back as fast as possible but with him needing to be completely healthy by that time before he takes the floor.

“Yeah, we’re, we’re in a full rush. The one thing about him is we are – when I say full rush? We’re going to rush back to 100% complete health,” Pope said. “So, you know, we’re thinking, we’re optimistic that we’re going to have really, really good results in the fall. We’ll see how that goes. But, you know, we’re going to rush to get him back to 100% healthy before we roll him out on this court.”

Since his commitment early in April, all updates on Quaintance have suggested the hope that he’ll be back in the fall around September after tearing that ACL in February with surgery on it in March. That could possibly have in back in time for the season’s tip-off around October into November. That said, it’ll all depend on how his rehab goes through the summer and over the next six months until that season stars.

“You know, he’s, he’s been incredibly diligent about his rehab,” Pope said. “He’s dealing with some incredible doctors and we’re working really hard to make this transition of care. This continuity of care is going to be really important for him.”

Quaintance, who originally committed to Kentucky out of high school as a Five-Star+ signee before last offseason’s coaching change, went on to play his freshman year at Arizona State. He’d average 9.4 points (52.5% FG), 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks, 1.5 assists, and 1.1 steals per game for the Sun Devils. Quaintance, one of the top freshmen and one of the top defenders in college basketball, would go on to make the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and Big 12 All-Freshman Team with that.

“We’re really excited about Jayden. In fact, I was just with him yesterday, um, and he is a hulking mass of, like, physicality and, like, the greatest kid you’re ever going to meet in your life,” Pope said. “He’s a difference maker. You know, you think about a 16-year-old that’s a double-double guy in the Big 12? Like, that’s insane. And, he’s a really impressive young man, so we’re looking forward to getting him back.”

Quaintance was one of the best transfers in the portal during this cycle at No. 4 overall and as the No. 2 PF per the latest update to On3’s Industry Ranking of 2025’s Top Transfer Portal Players. He leads the Wildcats’ transfer class of five additions alongside Jaland Lowe (Pittsburgh), Mouhamed Dioubate (Alabama), Kam Williams (Tulane), and Denzel Aberdeen (Florida) with them, when paired with what was already going to be at UK, being part of what’s likely to be a top team in the nation going into next season in Lexington.

There remains a lot of optimism about the eventual recovery for Quaintance. Still, Kentucky is going to stay cautious, though, until they’re certain that he can take the court for the first time in blue and white.

“He’s going to race back and get healthy and strong as soon as he can and he’ll be, he’ll be a big part of our deal,” Pope said.