Top 10 2027 Recruit Adds Kentucky Offer at Big Blue Madness

Kentucky opens the 2025-26 season at Big Blue Madness, via Dr. Michael Huang, KS

While Kentucky fans were intoxicated by what was unfolding at Big Blue Madness, Mark Pope was looking toward the future.

The spectacle on display at Rupp Arena serves two purposes. Big Blue Madness is theater for Kentucky fans that tips off a season. That pomp and circumstance isn’t just for fans. This is a recruiting event, the biggest of the year for Mark Pope’s program.

Kentucky hosted two official visitors in the 2026 recruiting class, Jordan Smith Jr. and Josh Irving. They also had a handful of unofficial visitors, and one of them left with a scholarship offer.

Dawson Battie shared on social media that he picked up an offer from Mark Pope’s coaching staff during his trip to Lexington. A 6-foot-8 small forward from Dallas, Texas, Battie is the No. 10 player in the 2027 recruiting class, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. Assistant Mikhail McLean is Battie’s primary recruiter for the Cats.

Get the Daily On3 Newsletter in your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

Battie already has more than a dozen offers, including some from the noteworthy Texas schools. He averaged 15.7 points and 8.6 rebounds this summer with the Southern Ties program on Puma’s Pro16 16U Circuit.

“Honestly, my game in AAU was a lot different from high school,” Battie recently told Rivals. “In high school, I ran the guard a lot. But, you know, in AAU, we have a lot of good guards, so I run a lot in the low post. I think my passing has increased since the high school season, really my court vision, being able to swing the ball across the court, and over guys. My game is kind of just whatever the team needs. Like, if that game I need to have 10 assists, then I’ll have 10 assists. If I have to have 30 points, I’ll have 30 points; 20 boards, then I’ll grab 20 boards. I’m not really comparing my game to what happens on the stat sheet. It’s really just the impact of the game for me.”

Want more coverage of the Cats? Join KSR+

KSR has been delivering UK Sports news in the most ridiculous manner for almost two decades. Now, you can get even more coverage of the Cats with KSR+. In the middle of a pressure-packed Kentucky football season for Mark Stoops, now is the perfect time to join our online community. Subscribe now for premium articles, in-depth scouting reports, inside intel, bonus recruiting coverage, and access to KSBoard, our message board featuring thousands of Kentucky fans around the globe. Come join the club.