Kentucky Basketball Offers 7-Footer Ethan Taylor

Ethan Taylor / Photo by On3's Jamie Shaw

Mark Pope‘s coaching staff is casting a wider net following the summer evaluation period. In recent days, we’ve seen a wave of offers extended to players in the 2027 recruiting class. On Tuesday night, Kentucky officially entered the fray for a 7-footer in the class of 2026.

Ethan Taylor shared on social media that he’s received a scholarship offer from the Wildcats. It’s the center’s 15th scholarship offer so far. Oklahoma, Florida State, Kansas State, Missouri, and Kansas are the schools generating the most buzz early in his recruitment.

The 7-foot, 230-pound athlete plays prep school basketball at Link Academy in Kansas. A four-star prospect, he’s the second-ranked center in the 2026 class and No. 23 overall player, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

It’s been a solid summer for Taylor. Despite only playing 16 minutes a game in the Peach Jam, the Big Man averaged 9.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. A few weeks prior, he was a standout at the NBPA Top 100 camp.

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“Ethan Taylor has a lot of upside with his size, and continued upward trajectory of his game,” said Rivals’ Jaime Shaw. “He rebounded his area well and finished plays around the basket. He also showed interesting passing ability. Still growing into his frame as he continues to add strength, there is a pretty high upside for him.”

Mark Pope’s first full high school recruiting class features a talented 7-footer from the state of Kentucky, Malachi Moreno. The Commonwealth doesn’t regularly produce 7-footers. He’ll have to look elsewhere to find space-eaters in the paint. Taylor is a target that fits the bill.

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