Kentucky’s top rivals are after former Wildcat Travis Perry

Kentucky had a late departure on Tuesday evening when Travis Perry entered the transfer portal with just a couple of hours to spare before the deadline to enter, which was midnight. Catching many Kentucky fans by surprise, Perry’s late entry was just one day after the Wildcats picked up a commitment from Florida transfer guard Denzel Aberdeen. Seeing the writing on the wall with playing time, Perry decided to explore his options elsewhere.

Since entering the portal, a number of Kentucky fans were expecting a lot of mid-major interest for the in-state native, but it has been the complete opposite for Perry. He has received a slew of interest from a number of high-major schools according to On3’s Joe Tipton, including a couple of rivals. Among the schools interested in the 6-1 guard are Louisville, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, South Carolina, LSU, Missouri, Maryland, WKU and Georgia.

Last season at Kentucky, Perry’s role was asked to expand when the Wildcats were dealing with the injuries of Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson. Perry played nine games with double-digit minutes, including five of those in a row during SEC play when injury bug bit Kentucky’s backcourt. A few of Perry’s best games last season both came against Alabama. In Tuscaloosa, the Kentucky native had 12 points starting at point guard for the Wildcats on the road, adding a rebound, an assist, even having 4 steals on the defensive end.

Perry is looking for an extended role as he heads into his sophomore season and it looks like a couple of Kentucky’s rivals are very interested in what he could bring to their team.

Looking ahead, Kentucky continues to strengthen its program through strategic recruiting. The Wildcats are actively pursuing top-tier prospects, including 5-star forward Christian Collins, ranked No. 3 in the 2026 class. Collins’ potential commitment would further solidify Kentucky’s position as a national powerhouse.