Louisville basketball learned yesterday that the No. 1 recruit in the nation and Louisville native Tyran Stokes will no longer consider the Cards for his recruiting process. The 5-star small forward is 6-foot-7, 225 pounds, and is the consensus No. 1 overall recruit in this highly respected 2026 recruiting class.
Cardinals fans expected this news at some point, and now, with the long-awaited finally over, they are immediately turning their heads to their next No. 1 target. Louisville hasn't had much luck with the 2026 recruiting class, as they struck out on Stokes, Taylen Kinney, Colben Landrew, and Josh Irving.
However, in recent news, the Cards are one of 10 teams to reach out to an elite point guard, and after striking out on Stokes, it is clear that the Ohio State decommit is now Pat Kelsey's top target.
Related: Louisville basketball making moves to land 4-star PG phenom
Louisville basketball's No. 1 target is obvious after striking out on Tyran Stokes
Marcus Johnson is one of the top recruits in the 2026 recruiting class, and quickly after he decommitted from Ohio State, Kelsey and the Cardinals made a move on the 4-star point guard. Louisville was one of 10 schools to reach out to the elite guard after he decommitted, and after striking out on Stokes and others, it is clear Kelsey must go all-in on this guard.
Johnson ranks as high as a 4-star prospect and No. 28 in the nation. He is one of the best point guards in the country, as he can score at an elite level and is labeled a “bucket getter." He ranks as high as the No. 3 point guard in the 2026 recruiting class, making him an immediate top target for Kelsey.
Mikel Brown Jr. is likely to be a one-and-done star, which means Louisville, for now, doesn't have the elite point guard Kelsey wants for next year. They were able to acquire London Johnson from the G-League, but Kelsey is clearly interested in Johnson and wants to add depth while trying to show the nation why he is 'PGU'.
It won't be easy to land Johnson's commitment after his impressive junior campaign and offseason. The 6-foot-2 guard averaged 29.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 2.2 steals per game and was named the MaxPreps Player of the Year in Ohio. He then played in Nike's EYBL league and was named to the All-EYBL second team, averaging 18.8 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals per game.
Louisville is currently competing against Indiana, Michigan, Arkansas, Tennessee, Illinois, Syracuse, and others, and it will be crucial for the Cards to intensify their recruiting efforts with Johnson following the Stokes news.