Bio Blast: 2026 four-star forward Chris Washington Jr.

Mark Pope landed his first 2026 high school commit earlier this week with the addition of four-star guard Mason Williams. Is another future Wildcat on the way?

KSR has learned that four-star prospect Chris Washington Jr. is receiving interest from the Kentucky men’s basketball staff. Listed around 6-foot-8, 190 pounds, Washington classifies himself as a “point forward” and “big guard”. Rivals considers him the 33rd-best high school senior in the country, one who is hearing from plenty of big-name schools, several of them SEC programs.

Talks with Kentucky appear to be in the early stages. No offer from the ‘Cats has been publicly announced, nor has a date for a visit to Lexington. But Washington Jr. does not sound like someone in a rush to make a decision right now. He’s the fifth-highest-ranked player from the 2026 cycle yet to pick a college.

Let’s learn more about Washington Jr. in KSR’s latest Bio Blast.

A former Alabama commit

Washington Jr. went through an extensive recruitment the first time around. A native of Florida, he began to gain popularity as a top prospect in 2022 and 2023, with offers from smaller schools such as Jacksonville, Bethune-Cookman, and Stetson. Once Florida State came calling with a scholarship in June 2023, he started to blow up. The likes of Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, and Missouri all offered him in September 2023, making him a widely known recruit across the country.

Other schools quickly got involved. Michigan, Illinois, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Maryland, Louisville, and Cincinnati all reached out with offers over the course of the next year. His top seven consisted of Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Florida A&M, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Villanova. But he ultimately committed to Nate Oats the Crimson Tide in September 2025. At the time, Washington Jr. told Rivals that Alabama had been recruiting him since his freshman year in high school. He had visions of being the next Brandon Miller — a big, scoring guard — in Tuscaloosa.

But Washington Jr. continued to take visits after pledging to Alabama. He went on trips to check out Cincinnati, Villanova, Auburn, and Florida A&M before decommitting from the Tide in November. An official visit to Tennessee was scheduled for January of this year, but poor weather the weekend he was expected to arrive postponed that trip. A product of Providence Christian Academy (TN), Washington Jr. tells KSR he’ll “probably” make that visit to Tennessee after the Volunteers finish their run in the NCAA Tournament.

“Honestly, I just want to go where I’m wanted — and the play style. I got to go where I fit in and where the coaches really want me,” he told KSR. “(My recruitment is) open. Whenever the time is right.”

Oregon, Oklahoma State, Southern California, and SMU are among the other schools also in contention.

What he brings to the hardwood

As mentioned, Washington Jr. is a self-described big guard. He performed well on the AAU circuit and at major camps last spring/summer. He averaged 15.2 points per game at the NBPA Top 100 Camp back in June, being recognized as one of the event’s top overall performers by Rivals. He followed that up by being one of the best players at the UAA Next Session 3 in July. During January’s Hoophall Classic, Washington Jr.’s name was once again mentioned as a top performer against high-level competition.

“I play fast. I’m a point forward, I think I can do it all — shoot, dribble, pass, dunk, great defender,” he told KSR. “I’m a point forward who can do it all.”

For his high school team, Providence Christian Academy, Washington Jr. helped lead them to back-to-back Tennessee state championships earlier this month. He also picked up MVP honors in the tournament for the second straight year, posting 13 points (6-11 FG) and 15 rebounds in the title game. He received Division II-A Mr. Basketball honors from the TSSAA to boot.

“Chris Washington has a great frame with length and athletic fluidity,” Jamie Shaw of Rivals said of Washington Jr.’s game. “The intrigue with the 6-foot-8 wing is his motor and instincts. He is an active rebounder, collecting weak-side blocked shots and deflections. His offense was in transition and in straight lines at the rim. He will need to continue developing his ball skills and shooting range, but the production is there with his length and motor.”

There aren’t many better pure athletes than Washington Jr. in the 2026 class. Combine that with his high upside potential, and it’s easy to see why he’s considered a top 35 player in this cycle. Will Pope make a serious run at him?

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