Not so fast, my friend!

News broke Wednesday night that Collin Chandler had entered his name into the transfer portal. The sophomore guard had been trending toward a return to Kentucky for his junior campaign in recent weeks, catching most fans off guard with news that he was looking for a new home. Predictions for Chandler to land at BYU, a school much closer to home and one he was once committed to, quickly began to pour in.

But On3’s Joe Tipton says Mark Pope and the Wildcats remain in the race to keep Chandler in Lexington.

“BYU is the frontrunner for Kentucky transfer Collin Chandler,” Tipton wrote Thursday on social media. “However he has left the door open to a possible return to Kentucky depending on how conversations go in the coming days.”

During the 2025-26 season, Chandler averaged 9.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.2 steals in 27.1 minutes per game for the Wildcats. He started 31 of 36 games played, shooting 41 percent from deep on 4.9 attempts per contest. On3 ranks him as the 30th-best player and third-best combo guard to enter the portal this offseason.

Chandler originally committed to BYU out of high school when Pope was still the head coach of the Cougars. He followed Pope to Kentucky for his freshman season, which came with plenty of ups and downs before his game took a leap last offseason. Chandler is an excellent shooter and a terrific athlete with plenty of upside, but he couldn’t quite put it all together last season.

KSR’s Jack Pilgrim has more behind-the-scenes info on Chandler’s original decision to enter the portal. BYU should still be considered the frontrunner. We’ll have to wait and see if Pope can do enough to convince Chandler that he should stay at UK.

It’s Transfer Portal SZN on KSR+

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