NORTH AUGUSTA, S.C. — Jasper Johnson’s recruitment is winding down, a decision likely coming in the next month, and his commitment could be a litmus test of sorts for three of the biggest brands in college basketball: Kentucky, North Carolina and Alabama. Also known as his … parents’ alma mater, the other shade of blue blood and the SEC’s new powerhouse.
Johnson, a top-10 prospect in the 2025 high school class, grew up 15 minutes from Rupp Arena, the son of Dennis, a local legend and former football star at Kentucky. New Wildcats coach Mark Pope badly wants Johnson to become his first five-star commitment, proof that Pope can land the kind of elite talent predecessor John Calipari hoarded for the past 15 years. He isn’t taking for granted that a blue-chipper sprouted right in the program’s backyard.
“He’s definitely got to get — he wants to get — that first big piece,” Dennis said. “He went to see Jasper play with USA Basketball in Argentina. He sat down with us in his office on a visit and talked for two hours. He called me the other day, and we talked for 45 minutes. He’s made it very, very clear that he wants Jasper to be the first piece of this recruiting class.”
Pope’s problem? This doesn’t appear to be a 2-foot putt. Despite Johnson’s proximity to the program and his family’s allegiance — his mother is “the biggest Kentucky fan,” a cousin of former UK football star Craig Yeast — Johnson grew up a North Carolina basketball fan.
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“We went to Kentucky games when he was young, but he wasn’t just a diehard,” Dennis said. “He’s a different kid. Being this close, he understands what the lure of Kentucky basketball is, but he just loves watching basketball, period, and he always really liked Carolina. Once he met Hubert Davis, he just thinks he’s a great guy. I talk to that staff every single day. We went to the Carolina-Duke game, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever been to in my life. Him seeing that, being on the front row for that, I think just pricked something in his brain.”
And then there are the rising Tide. Under Nate Oats, Alabama won the SEC in 2021 and 2023, reached the program’s first Final Four last season and has produced six NBA draft picks during the past four years, including No. 2 overall Brandon Miller in 2023. Oats and his electric offense have become attractive to top transfers and five-star recruits. Now he has a chance to deliver an early blow to the approval rating for Kentucky’s new coach.
Jasper Johnson (2) is being recruited by three of the biggest brands in college basketball: Kentucky, North Carolina and Alabama. (Stu Boyd II / USA Today)
“Their style of play is very big,” Dennis said. “Nate has talked a lot to him about style of play and analytics. We got a chance to talk to Brandon Miller, and he said, ‘I didn’t really become a greater player; it’s just that I stopped taking dumb shots because their analytics helped me know which shots were better.’ And they’re coming off a Final Four. I mean, come on. Nate’s sitting in his office pointing to the draft guys on his wall and the trophies, saying, ‘Listen, you’re not going to be an experiment for me. I’ve already done this.’”
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Alabama assistant Preston Murphy is an elite recruiter, and “I’ve talked to Preston every day for two months,” Dennis said.
Pope is being welcomed to the world of big-time recruiting. Johnson has taken official visits to the three biggest contenders, plus Missouri and Illinois — and he might still sneak in an official visit to Arkansas, Calipari’s new home, before the decision. Louisville and Baylor are pushing for visits. Recruiting in these waters, there are no gimmes. Pope happens to be Johnson’s only serious suitor without proof of concept, having won zero NCAA Tournament games and coached zero NBA draft picks.
“That’s always a question mark in my head,” Johnson said.
But that’s not necessarily a deal-breaker.
“The day we went over there for a visit, that night, I went up to his room, and he was in there watching some BYU videos,” Dennis said. “He’s kind of trying to figure it out, envision how they’ll use him. That’s definitely the style he wants to play. It’s going to be super tough to decide because right now, Alabama, Kentucky and Carolina are probably neck-and-neck.”
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Both Alabama and North Carolina have signed friends and former teammates of Johnson’s. Oats was the first high-major coach to start seriously recruiting him, back in the summer before his freshman season in high school. It’s not hard to understand why Johnson might leave home for college, but there are things those places just can’t offer.
“My mom wants me to stay home,” Johnson said. “She’s proud of me wherever I go, doesn’t really put any pressure on me to stay home. (But) Coach Pope has really been pushing to me that I’m one of the best guards in the country, if not the best — that he’s wanting me to stay home but also prioritizing me because I’m one of the best players in the class. He always pitches to me that he wants to win a banner as well, and he sees me coming in and being a big impact from day one. Hearing that is good.”
The Johnson family is hearing a lot of things lately. Dennis connected with former Kentucky star Jeff Sheppard, whose son, Reed, just traveled the path from homegrown hero to Wildcats star to a one-and-done lottery pick, for advice on how to handle the circus. Sheppard also happens to be Pope’s old roommate at Kentucky.
“He’s been very helpful to us. He always says, ‘Do what’s best for Jasper,’” Dennis said. “It’s almost time. He’ll decide sooner than later. Whether he goes to Kentucky or he doesn’t, I want him to make the best decision for him, where he feels most comfortable. Everybody I see, whether I’m out walking or working out or in the store, talks about Kentucky. But my dad let me make my own decision and he has to make his own.”
Alabama football is hosting an impressive group of 2027 recruits throughout this weekend. This is the first of several weekends the Tide will host top recruits for official visits.
So, will Alabama add a commit this weekend? This is very much possible, and there are a few prospects Touchdown Alabama has our eyes on.
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
OKLAHOMA CITY–– UCLA’s home run power made headlines all season, but it was Alabama’s super sluggers who stepped up in the biggest moments on the biggest stage during the Crimson Tide’s opening game of the Women’s College World Series.
No. 1 Alabama was trailing by two runs heading into the fifth inning of Thursday’s game before Alexis Pupillo tied it up with a two-run shot in the bottom of the frame.
The Tide had struggled with runners in scoring position all game, but when Alabama’s home run leader Brooke Wells stepped to the plate with two on in the sixth inning, she made sure that wasn’t going to happen again. In her first ever game at the WCWS, Wells hit one over the right field wall to give Alabama a three-run lead.
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That score would hold as No. 1 Alabama beat No. 8 UCLA 6-3 to move into the winners’ bracket at the WCWS.
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The moment meant a lot for Wells after she went without a hit during the super regional round against LSU. The team rallied around her, and head coach Patrick Murphy put a card in her locker at the beginning of the week.
“It was great to do it for these girls,” Wells said after the game. “These girls are so great. They had my back all last weekend, you know, how he said. It wasn’t the best weekend for me, but they never lost trust in me, they never lost faith in me. Murph gave me a card, the girls picked me up all weekend. I walked in here feeling as confident as ever. Didn’t really cross my mind anything that happened last weekend.”
This is the first trip to the World Series for both Wells and Pupillo as transfers into Alabama. Pupillo is in her final season and has now hit a home run in three straight postseason games and is up to 20 on the season.
“This is the moment that I’ve been waiting for since I was like eight years old,” Pupillo said. “I walked through the gates today, I kind of started tearing up for a second because it just felt surreal. I just remember watching Montana Fouts pitch in the World Series when she threw the perfect game. That moment of me when I was eight years old watching it on the TV, man, I really want to do that.”
Alabama junior ace Jocelyn Briski shut down the UCLA batting order the first time through, but the Bruins bats wouldn’t stay down for long. UCLA rallied for three runs on four hits, including two home runs, in the third inning to take a 3-1 lead.
She did not allow another run to the potent UCLA offense over the next four innings. Briski finished with nine strikeouts against a team that does not strike out much.
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“You could see they hit two home runs, we hit two home runs, but the ability to come up with those timely hits with runners on obviously makes a difference,” UCLA coach Kelly Inoyue-Perez said after the game.
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Coming into the matchup, Alabama knew UCLA would score. It just wanted to limit the damage, and Briski was able to do that.
Jena Young set the tone for the offense at the top of the lineup, reaching base four times with three hits. She scored in the first inning on an RBI-single from Alabama’s senior captain Marlie Giles, Pupillo’s home run and on the Wells’ home run in the sixth inning.
Alabama (55-7) will face the winner of Thursday night’s game between No. 4 Nebraska and No. 5 Arkansas on Saturday. Winning the first game sets the tone for the rest of the series and makes the path a lot smoother. Around 90 percent of previous college softball national champions win their opening game at the WCWS.
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Alabama plays UCLA on Thursday night in the third first-round game of the Women’s College World Series
The Alabama Crimson Tide battles the UCLA Bruins on Thursday night in a first-round game of the Women’s College World Series. The Crimson Tide comes into the World Series on a five-game winning streak after sweeping through the regionals and super regional. They fell short in the SEC Tournament, as they lost to Texas 7-1, but they have been great in the postseason. They have given up just one combined run in the five postseason games and have easily moved on to the World Series. They beat USC Upstate twice and Belmont once in the regional by a combined 20-0 score. They then swept rival LSU in the super regional by a combined 11-1 score. They now sit at 54-7 on the season and are one of the favorites to win the National Championship.
How to Watch Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Today:
Game Date: Thursday, May 28, 2026
Game Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
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The Bruins, though, are looking to knock off the Crimson Tide and pick up a huge first-round upset on Thursday night.
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The Bruins also swept through the regional and super regional and come into the World Series 52-8 on the season.
The Bruins also came up short in their conference tournament, as they lost to Nebraska, but, like the Crimson Tide, have been good in the postseason. They got tested by Cal Baptist in the first game of the regional, but since that game, they have outscored their opponents 55-8.
What Time Is Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Game?
Game 3: Alabama vs UCLA will take place on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Tune in and catch some great College Softball action.
What Channel Is Alabama vs UCLA College Softball Game?
Looking to watch this game? Fans can tune into ESPN2 to see the action. Make sure you subscribe to Fubo now to watch this matchup, as well as numerous other sports leagues.
Live stream Alabama vs UCLA College Softball on Fubo:Start watching now!
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