The son of Gilbert Arenas won’t be coming to Lexington.
The Kentucky Wildcats won’t be getting Alijah Arenas.
On Thursday, Alijah made a surprise commitment during Gilbert Arenas’ podcast.
While Kentucky was among the five finalists, the younger Arenas will be taking his talents to the USC Trojans, he announced on the show.
The Louisville Cardinals, Arizona Wildcats, and Kansas Jayhawks were also among the finalists for the recent McDonald’s All-American selection.
The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Arenas plays at Chatsworth High School in California and recently reclassified into 2025 from his original class of 2026. He’s currently ranked 10th overall in 2025 by On3 and 247 Sports, while ESPN has him 12th. Rivals does not have him ranked yet in 2025 but does still have him listed as a 5-star prospect.
With Kentucky recently missing on Caleb Wilson, it seemed like Mark Pope and Co. could make a bigger push for Arenas, who has yet to visit Lexington. But with him now off the board, it looks like Nate Ament or bust when it comes to adding one more major high school recruit to what’s already a solid 2025 haul.
Regardless, Kentucky figures to be very active in the transfer portal once again. Only this time, Pope will have a full offseason to work with.