2027 4-Star PG Jason Gardner Jr. Hoping to Earn Kentucky Offer During Official Visit

Kentucky has been involved in the recruitment of Jason Gardner Jr. since June 15 last year. With his senior year coming up, the 2027 four-star guard is looking towards official visits.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound point guard from Fishers (Indianapolis, IN) visited Kentucky for a game during the 2025-26 season, but still hasn’t earned an offer. As he eyes official visits, he believes that an offer could come soon.

“I’ll hopefully get up there soon. I know it’s a busy time for them. Now that the portal has died down and the 2026 class is over, they can focus on the 2027 class,” Gardner told KSR. “They always say they’ll offer on the official, so hopefully.”

Kentucky assistant coach Mikhail McLean has led the charge for Kentucky, building a relationship that spans almost a year. During his recent unofficial visit, Gardner got to meet Mark Pope for the first time.

“Mark Pope is a really good coach. I had a really good meeting with him,” Gardner said. “The overall facilities and everything about their campus [stood out].”

The Recruitment is Heating Up

Jason Gardner Jr. is starting to see his recruitment heat up, but it’s nothing new to him. His father, Jason Gardner Sr., is the director of player relations for Arizona’s men’s basketball program.

“I’ve been around it my whole life. When I see the coaches, it’s not anything new to me, but it’s still pretty cool to see all the types of schools,” he said. “Now, you’re talking about official visits. That’s when you have to really think about where you want to go. It’s not like you have two years left. You only have a couple of months left.”

Gardner said that Auburn, Texas, Stanford, Indiana, Florida, and Texas Tech have all been in contact regularly. He hasn’t taken any official visits yet.

“For officials, I definitely want to take them in July or August,” he said. “In terms of making a decision, I don’t really have a time when I want to commit, but whenever the time is right, is when I’ll make a decision.”

Gardner is looking at play style, playing time, and his relationship with the staff when making a decision. He broke down the factors.

“When you’re at a college, that’s who you’re around 95 percent of the time,” he said. “Being able to have a really good connection with the staff.”

Jason Gardner Jr.’s Game

Indianapolis (Indianapolis) Fishers four-star point guard Jason Gardner Jr. is the nation’s No. 40 overall prospect according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, an equally weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting services. Rivals ranks Gardner as the No. 13 point guard and the No. 43 overall player in the 2027 class.

“My first session was my first time on the EYBL. I was just getting adjusted to the speed, athleticism, play style, and physicality,” Gardner said. “During session two, I’m getting more prepared for it, which has led to better play.”

Gardner has seen a difference in physicality and athleticism since he moved from the Adidas 3SSB to the Nike EYBL.

“I’m a very athletic guard who plays above the rim,” he said. “Being able to finish above all these athletes and bigs, I’m using it in different ways.”