John Calipari’s Arkansas Razorbacks may be facing obstacles to land one of the best players in the class of 2026. After a Sweet 16 loss to Texas Tech in the 2025 NCAA tournament, the Razorbacks are set to compete in the upcoming season. Meanwhile, they have set their sights on their next star, but the recruiting war for his services would be ruthless.
Caleb Holt has been identified as Arkansas’ biggest target, but other top programs have him on the radar, too. Holt, a 6-foot-5 guard from Huntsville, Alabama, is a five-star prospect at Prolific Prep.
Despite visiting campus at the end of August, the Razorbacks might be bracing for bad news regarding Holt.
Razorbacks can lose Caleb Holt to hometown programs
After all their attempts to land Holt, the Razorbacks aren’t in pole position to land the guard. Instead, On3 reporter Joe Tipton broke down that Holt reportedly prefers to play for Alabama or Auburn.
“Most sources I speak with believe it will be difficult to pull Holt away from his home state of Alabama. Both the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Auburn Tigers have made him a top priority,” he explained. “If Holt decides to remain in state, the sources I’ve spoken to would give Nate Oats the slight edge as of today, but in the same breath mention not counting out Bruce Pearl. He has official visits to both home state schools scheduled for the month of October.”
Holt is ranked as the No. 2 player in his class, which is why many top programs are after him.