Buckhorn star Caleb Holt is leaving the state to play his final two years of high school basketball.
Holt is transferring to Grayson, Ga. He made the announcement on Instagram on Wednesday night and confirmed it to AL.com in a text message.
The 6-foot-6 forward led the Bucks to back-to-back Class 6A state titles and was the MVP of both tournaments. The Alabama Sports Writers Association named him the 42nd Mr. Basketball in April.
Holt averaged 20.2 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3 steals and 2.4 assists for the 23-5 Bucks during the 2023-2024 season. He was named the Gatorade and MaxPreps Alabama Player of the Year and the ASWA’s Class 6A Player of the Year for the second straight season.
He was the seventh underclassman to win Mr. Basketball, and he is the second straight to leave the state to complete his high school career. Former Baker star Labaron Philon transferred to Link Academy in Missouri after winning the award in 2023. He signed with Alabama earlier this year.
“Athletically, he’s about as good as I’ve seen,” former Jacksonville State head coach and Alabama Sports Hall of Fame member Bill Jones said following Holt’s 37-point performance in the state semifinals. “He’s so quick. I’m sitting on the floor behind the basket. He stole a ball right in front of me and in three dribbles he’s on the other end of the floor. He’s an exceptional talent.”
Holt already has scored 1,798 points in his prep career with two years left.
The 5-star prospect is ranked as the No. 3 recruit in the state for the Class of 2026, according to the 247 rankings. He already has offers from Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Georgia, Houston, LSU, Mississippi State, Kansas and Ole Miss, among others.
Buckhorn coach Patrick Harding said he had not heard from Caleb or his family since the first week of June. Holt announced new offers from traditional powers North Carolina and Indiana this week.
Holt recently helped Team USA’s U17 national team win the FIBA World Cup in Turkey. The team dominated Italy 129-88 in the title game.