Louisville basketball fans are locked in right now on a few 2026 basketball recruits, but their glaring No. 1 target for many reasons is Tyran Stokes. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound small forward is the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in the nation after he has already earned multiple gold medals before he is even 18 years old.
Additionally, as many fans are aware, Stokes is a hometown kid, having been born and raised in Louisville, where his family has long been Cardinals fans. Pat Kelsey and the Cardinals were dominant favorites after earning a visit back in October 2024; however, the race has drastically changed, and not in a good way for Louisville fans.
Unfortunately, the Kentucky Wildcats have since entered the race and now appear to have taken control in the eyes of many recruiting experts.
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247Sports updates Tyran Stokes recruitment race
For a long time, Louisville was considered the favorite, whether that was a dominant favorite or just the frontrunner. However, since Stokes visited Kentucky and Kansas, the Cardinals' lead appears to have vanished, and many experts are leaning towards the Wildcats over the Cardinals.
247Sports updated Stokes' recruitment race on their website for his profile, and the Cardinals fans are looking at it with massive worry. Kentucky and Kansas now have "warmer" next to their names, as Louisville is still in the "warm" category.
The Cardinals recently took a visit to Stokes' house and are doing all they can to keep him home, but it appears Mark Pope and the Wildcats are making a move on the No. 1 overall recruit. Stokes' commitment to Kentucky over Louisville would be a stab to the back and would be one of the biggest whiffs in program history.
It isn't common for the city of Louisville to produce a top-five recruit in the nation, and with Stokes breaking that standard, Louisville was thought to be near a lock with all that he does for the city and the early part of his recruiting process. However, Kentucky and Kansas are now in the lead according to 247Sports, and Louisville has fallen behind.
Kentucky stealing Stokes from Louisville would be a significant concern for fans and the program moving forward, as the Cardinals' in-state rival ripping the No. 1 overall recruit right from their backyard would be a crushing blow.
Related: Louisville in serious danger of losing Tyran Stokes to Kentucky after crushing update
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.