Louisville basketball has its eyes set on many 5-star recruits in the 2026 cycle, but some are trending towards the Cardinals, while others are emerging as a dream target. Louisville had one of the best transfer classes, which gives fans hope that the recruiting approach from the transfer portal can transition to high school recruiting, setting this team up for success moving forward.
The Cardinals' head coach, Pat Kelsey, has emerged as one of the nation's top recruiters. The offseason is the busiest time of the year for recruiting, and Louisville is beginning to travel extensively across the country to visit the nation's top recruits in the 2026 cycle.
Louisville has extended offers to over 25 players in the 2026 class, and although the Cardinals have yet to land an offer, this article breaks down six 5-star recruits to whom Louisville has made offers.
2 Dream, 2 reach, 2 realistic 2026 5-star targets Louisville basketball could land
Louisville will now try to earn its first commitment, and it hopes this will be a massive 5-star splash, leading to many more recruits following suit. So, here are two dream, two reach, two realistic 2026 5-star targets Louisville basketball could land.
6. Dream - Jordan Smith Jr.
Jordan Smith Jr. has been trending towards the Duke Blue Devils recently, which is why he is a dream target. That said, he has also had some traction with the Louisville Cardinals. The consensus 5-star shooting guard is one of the top players in the 2026 cycle, ranked No. 4 in the nation, and recognized as the best shooting guard in the class.
The Cardinals are given the third-best chances per On3 Sports forecast, as Duke emerges as the clear favorite with a 54.6 percent chance, followed by Syracuse's 12.8 percent and then Louisville's 11.0 percent chance of earning his commitment. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound guard is the consensus No. 1 player out of Virginia, where he attends Pope VI Catholic High School.
The Cardinals made their offer to Smith in July 2024 and later received a visit in October. The only programs to earn a visit so far are Duke and Syracuse. The 5-star guard has expressed that he enjoyed his visit to Louisville and appreciates their style of play, noting some resemblance to his high school.
The Cardinals have just lacked traction with Smith since his visit, which is a glaring reason why he is now ranked as a top target moving forward.
Related: Louisville basketball turns up the heat in pursuit of another 5-star sensation