Louisville basketball gets some exciting news for the 2027 recruiting class as the Cardinals are set to host the No. 1 overall recruit for an unofficial visit. Joe Tipton of On3Sports recently reported that the Louisville Cardinals are entering the recruiting battle for elite power forward CJ Rosser, as the consensus 5-star recruit has already earned over 17 offers from elite programs like North Carolina, Michigan, Kentucky, and Louisville.
The Cardinals are in a recruiting battle with the Tar Heels and their in-state rival, the Kentucky Wildcats, as UNC already earned an unofficial visit, and Mark Pope’s Wildcats are earning an unofficial visit from Rosser shortly after he visits Louisville. Also, in the mix is John Calipari’s Arkansas, as they have reportedly been heavily involved with Rosser, but have yet to earn a visit.
Louisville and Kentucky enter recruiting battle for No. 1 overall recruit
Tipton reports Louisville will earn their unofficial visit for its big-time showdown inside the KFC Yum! Center against SMU on January 31. The Cardinals will return home after playing Duke on January 26, and will then have another huge ACC showdown against a 13-4 Mustangs squad with the No. 1 overall recruit in the stands.
After the Cardinals host Rosser for their unofficial visit, Kentucky will host him on February 4 against Oklahoma, putting these two in-state rivals in a massive recruiting showdown.
5⭐️ CJ Rosser, the No. 1 ranked player in the 2027 class, has scheduled unofficial visits to Kentucky and Louisville, a source told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) January 16, 2026
Dates for each trip (+): https://t.co/OIqVx5FFik pic.twitter.com/mCfuSFStHt
Rosser ranks as high as No. 1 overall in the 2027 class, the No. 1 power forward and the No. 1 recruit out of Florida. The 5-star recruit had a dominant 2025-26 season averaging 16.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 assists per game for Southeastern Prep.
The Cardinals are already trending with 4-star recruit Trevor Manhertz, who is down to Louisville, Duke, and Indiana after visiting the Cardinals and Blue Devils recently. Manhertz is currently in the 2027 class, but he reportedly is considering reclassing back to the 2026 class.
As for the Cardinals' 2027 commitments, there is one 4-star commitment in Ferlandes Wright, who ranks as high as No. 128 in the nation and No. 16 among power forwards, and one 3-star commitment in Isaac Ellis, who ranks as high as No. 188 in the 2027 class and No. 31 among shooting guards.
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.