Louisville's recruiting nightmare for Tyran Stokes just went from bad to worse

Louisville basketball fans fear the worst.
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Louisville basketball received some more heartbreaking news from the 2026 recruiting class as the Cardinals struck out on top-20 recruit and 4-star shooting guard Colben Landrew. Louisville fans were hopeful the Cards could pull it off and land this elite 2026 star, but the Huskies' visit on October 4 has left a good impression on Landrew and earned his commitment.

Now the Cards fans are running out of options as to who Louisville is in the running for, but two names still stick out. One is Josh Irving after the Cardinals made his final three, and the other is, of course, the No. 1 overall recruit Tyran Stokes.

Louisville is striking out on Taylen Kinney, and Landrew certainly makes it feel like it is a long shot for Stokes, but you never know. After Stokes released his final five, he also revealed some crucial news for Louisville fans that he will no longer take visits, according to 247 Sports.

Related: Louisville fans holding their breath after Tyran Stokes’ Mom teases decision timeline

Tyran Stokes recruiting update as commitment date looms

Stokes' closing his visits is actually a crushing blow to the Cardinals because, with Louisville having a massive preseason game against Kansas, many were hoping to land a last-second visit before he commits. However, now it feels like Louisville has a long shot as their last visit from the 5-star forward was back in 2024, while the rest of the contending schools earned visits over the summer and in September.

Kelsey visited Stokes back in September for an in-house visit, but an official visit means a whole lot more. The Cardinals haven't earned any commitments in the 2026 class, while Kansas has stolen Kinney from Louisville, and he is apparently immediately recruiting Stokes in that way.

Louisville has an uphill battle to land Stokes, and it appears all the signs are pointing to Kentucky. The Wildcats have earned multiple predictions, including a 247Sports Crystal Ball prediction that suggests they are running away with the recruiting race.

The Cardinals fans are trying to stay hopeful and hope he wants to be a hometown hero, but with him signing with Nike and now not taking any more visits, it feels like Louisville is on the outside looking in.

Related: 3 Biggest threats to Louisville landing No. 1 overall recruit Tyran Stokes

For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.

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