Louisville has massive recruiting opportunity after 5-star reclassifies to 2026 class

Louisville basketball is off to a hot start in the 2027 class as the Cardinals have already earned two commitments inside the top 200 rankings. Louisville’s first commitment in the class is 4-star recruit Ferlandes Wright, who commits to the Cardinals ranked as the No. 125 prospect, and their other commitment is 3-star Isaac Ellis, who ranks No. No. 188 in the 2027 recruiting class.

The Cardinals have had an impressive start, earning visits from multiple 5-stars recently, including the No. 1 overall recruit in the nation, CJ Rosser, just yesterday for the Cards' showdown. But Louisville hasn’t had that same luck for the 2026 recruiting class.

The Cards have yet to earn a commitment as we enter February, but one target just clearly became the Cardinals' new No. 1 target in the 2026 class. 2027 5-star Lincoln Cosby recently reclassified to the 2026 class from the 2027 class, giving the Cardinals a golden opportunity to try to amp up their recruiting efforts for the 5-star.

Related: 3 game-changing players who could follow Ferlandes Wright to the Louisville Cardinals

Louisville basketball gets golden opportunity from 5-star Lincoln Cosby

Cosby ranked as high as No. 6 overall in the 2027 class and was a unanimous 5-star from the prestigious Montverde Academy that has produced many NBA players in recent years, including Cade Cunningham. While the Cardinals may not have earned a commitment from a 2026 recruit yet, players like Cosby, who reclassify late, give the Cardinals a huge advantage over teams that have already earned a commitment at the small forward position.

The new 2026 target has already earned 20 offers and taken just one unofficial visit to Michigan, but he is expected to increase his visits in the coming months.

The Cardinals are one of the 20 schools that have already extended an offer to Cosby, putting them ahead of the curve a bit, but now Pat Kelsey has to work some magic to earn a visit from the 5-star small forward. The other programs that have extended offers to Cosby include Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State, Auburn, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona State, USC, LSU, Houston, Oregon, Texas A&M, Ole Miss, Wake Forest, and others.

The Ohio native is 6-foot-8, 195 pounds, and before his time at Montverde Academy, he played for RWE and Overtime Elite, where he averaged 15.6 points, 11.6 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 1.7 blocks per game. He ranked as the No. 1 player out of Georgia and the No. 3 small forward in the 2027 recruiting class before he reclassified to the 2026 class.

He now ranks as the No. 20 overall recruit in the 2026 class and the No. 7 small forward in his new class. The Cardinals need big-time commitment in the 2026 class as they are going to lose many key pieces like Isaac McKneely, Ryan Conwell, Aly Khalifa, Mikel Brown Jr., and others. Cosby is a new 2026 recruit whom Pat Kelsey has to go all-in on and do everything he can to try and earn his commitment after this major update.

For all the latest news and updates on Louisville basketball's 2025-26 season and recruiting, stay tuned.