5-Star Forward Christian Collins Moves Up Kentucky Visit

2026 five-star forward Christian Collins is moving up his Kentucky visit again. It’s now even sooner than expected.

The 6-foot-8, 200-pound small forward from St. John Bosco (Playa Del Rey, CA) will take an official visit to Kentucky from Sept. 26-28, sources tell KSR+. He is expected to arrive on Thursday, per sources. He was originally set to visit from Oct. 3-5.

Collins is the No. 3 small forward and the No. 8 overall player in the 2026 Rivals Industry Ranking. Rivals ranks Collins as the No. 4 small forward and the No. 12 overall player in the class.

Kentucky was in to see Collins, along with his teammate Tajh Ariza, at St. John Bosco earlier this month. Head coach Mark Pope and Jason Hart were both in to see him.

“[Mark Pope] is like a proud dad,” Collins told KSR+ at Peach Jam. “He’ll be recording you, and he’s cheering for you. He’s a really good guy. He has nice energy. He’s really positive.”

His Wider Recruitment

Christian Collins has already taken official visits to USC and Oregon this fall. He also holds offers from the likes of UCLA, Arkansas, Alabama, Baylor, Kansas, Texas, Duke, Arizona, and Louisville, among others.

“[I’m looking to go] somewhere I can really develop,” Collins told KSR+ at Peach Jam. “I want to be one-and-done, but if that’s not the case, then two-and-done or three-and-done. I want to be somewhere that feels like a family, like Team WhyNot. Somewhere I can really improve.”

Kentucky’s Fall Official Visit Schedule

Kentucky is in the middle of a busy fall official visit schedule. KSR+ is keeping track of the full schedule on the KSBoard:

Sayon Keita: July 30
Maximo Adams: Sept. 5-7
Caleb Holt: Sept. 5-7
Arafan Diane: Sept. 12-14
Anthony Thompson: Sept. 24-26
Christian Collins: Sept. 26-28
Cam Williams: Sept. 26-28
Deron Rippey Jr.: Oct. 3-5
Bryson Howard: Oct. 4-6
Ethan Taylor: Oct. 10-12 (Big Blue Madness)
Josh Irving: Oct. 10-12 (Big Blue Madness)
Jordan Smith Jr.: Oct. 10-12 (Big Blue Madness)