Louisville basketball completed its first game last night in a preseason exhibition game against the Kansas Jayhawks. The Cardinals hosted the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks at the KFC Yum! Center, and with a game with that much hype, there were going to be some big-time recruits in the building.
One of the biggest recruits that was in attendance last night for the Cardinals and Jayhawks showdown was 5-star small forward in the 2027 recruiting class, Gabe Nesmith, per 247Sports Jody Demling. The 5-star forward is a top 15 recruit in the 2027 class, and while Louisville fell 90-82, he got to experience one of the best atmospheres he will ever see for a preseason game.
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Louisville basketball hosts 5-star SF during Kansas exhibition game.
Nesmith ranks as high as No. 12 in the nation and the No. 2 shooting guard in the 2027 recruiting class. The 6-foot-5 180 180-pound wing is also ranked as a small forward by 247Sports and ranks him No. 13 in the nation and the No. 5 small forward in the class.
5-star Overtime Elite wing Gabe Nesmith is on an unofficial visit to the KFC Yum Center tonight for the Louisville exhibition game against Kansas.@ebosshoops@TravisBranham_
— Jody Demling (@jdemling) October 25, 2025
The 5-star wing was on an unofficial visit to Louisville, as he recently took an unofficial visit to Georgia and will follow this visit up with an unofficial visit to Tennessee on October 26. Nesmith has received four offers from Arizona State, Washington, Rutgers, and USC.
Last year, Nesmith played his freshman season at Montverde Academy, and then played with Prolific Prep. Now in his junior season, the 5-star is playing with the City Reapers for Overtime Elite.
The Cardinals have earned one commitment in the 2026 class from London Johnson. The recruit is 21 years old and committed from the NBA G League. He will be eligible next season and will join the team mid-season. The Cards have yet to earn any commitments from the 2027 recruiting class.
Related: 3 Louisville players who will benefit the most from London Johnson's commitment
For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season, stay tuned.