1. Tyran Stokes - SF
Despite all the recent rumors, Tyran Stokes still has a high chance of being a Louisville Cardinal. The Cardinals were the first school he visited, and with Kelsey making it clear he will spend money on elite recruits, don't be surprised if they go all-in to get the No. 1 overall recruit.
It will be a challenge, as Kentucky, Kansas, and Oregon are all rising in the race. However, Stokes is a Louisville native, and early on in his recruiting process, Louisville had a dominant lead, which suggests he is interested in representing his hometown. If he commits to the Cardinals, it would be easy for his family to attend his games and to support his lone college season before he plays in the NBA, and they will have to travel to watch him.
And with Stokes being a local, he has felt the buzz around the city all offseason and is witnessing how much passion the town has for the Louisville Cardinals. Kelsey proved what he can do by earning a 5-star commitment with Mikel Brown Jr. Kelsey has made Louisville must-watch TV, and Stokes has stated he wants to go up against Duke and North Carolina and doesn't want to "duck smoke", making many believe he was hinting at Kelsey's schedule comments from his first press conference. With a commitment from Stokes, Louisville would go all-in again in the Transfer Portal while also earning commitments from more 2026 recruits.
This is a bold prediction, and a bit of a stretch, but given Stokes' local roots and his family's passion for Louisville, we predict he will commit to the Louisville Cardinals.
Related: No. 1 recruit Tyran Stokes just gave his biggest hint yet at a Louisville commitment
For all the latest on Louisville basketball's offseason and recruiting, stay tuned.