Ouch. This is the big one.
For years, BYU fans have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of Collin Chandler, a former Farmington High School star and BYU's highest-rated recruit ever. While some worried he would change his mind and go to Utah instead, he held up his end of the deal and stuck to his original plan of suiting up for Mark Pope's squad. When Pope packed up and left for Kentucky's head coaching job, we all sat on the edge of our seats dreading the recruit's decision.
This morning, Chandler's decision was announced, and it's exactly what we feared. BYU's highest-rated recruit in history was too good to be true, and we'll never see him suit up for the Cougars after all.
BREAKING: Collin Chandler, the former No. 33 overall recruit in the 2022 class, has been released from his NLI to BYU and is headed to play for Mark Pope at Kentucky, he tells @247Sports.
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) April 16, 2024
Chandler has been away on a two-year mission and will make his freshman debut in 2024-25.… pic.twitter.com/oOZmAaQX8D
Chandler is just returning from his missionary service, so he'll likely take some time to get back into ideal basketball shape, but this is a huge pickup for Kentucky (he's the first player to commit to playing for Pope's Wildcats) and a devastating blow to BYU's program.
As a high school recruit in 2021, Chandler received offers from Arizona, Oregon, Stanford, and Utah, but decided to attend BYU and be a part of a rising program helmed by Coach Pope.
Releasing Chandler from his NLI isn't the nail in the coffin for BYU basketball, though. The Cougars are positioned to take a step back from last season's sudden success in the Big 12, and losing their top recruit won't help the win total. But aside from Chandler, no contributing players have officially announced their exit from the program. While several players have entered the portal, a return isn't out of the question.
Chandler is a blue-blood level athlete and will have a major role on Pope's roster. While seeing him leave BYU certainly stings, I look forward to seeing him compete at the highest levels of college basketball.