Consensus Kentucky 5-star signee center Jayden Quaintance has requested to be released from his national letter of intent from the Wildcats after former coach John Calipari left to be the coach at Arkansas.
Quaintance, 6-10 and 225 pounds, of Cleveland Word of God Christain Academy, committed to Kentucky over Missouri on No. 14 before inking with the Wildcats.
He also had scholarship offers from Ohio State, Florida, Alabama, Baylor, Kansas, Oregon, North Carolina State, Washington and others.
On3. com rates him as the No. 1 center and the No. 7 overall prospect in the nation. Schools usually grant releases to signees after a coaching change.
Four-star forward Karter Knox, 6-6 and 211, of Riverview (Fla.) Overtime Elite, was committed to the Wildcats, but the Tampa Bay Times reported his father said his son is reopening his recruitment.
Knox was also recruited by former Arkansas coach Eric Musselman and his staff and had the Hogs in his top eight before picking Calipari and Kentucky.
Quaintance and Knox are two of six members of the 2024 class at Kentucky. Both were McDonald All Americans, as was Wildcat signee and On3.com 4-star point guard Boogie Fland , 6-2 and 175 of Harlem (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac.
Consensus 4-star point guard signee Travis Perry, 6-2 and 170, of Eddyville (Ken.) Lyon County; 4-star forward commitment Billy Richmond, 6-6 and 200, of Memphis Camden; and consensus 4-star signee center Somto Cyril, 6-10 and 240, of Riverview (Fla.) Overtime Elite round out the Kentucky recruiting class.