KU Basketball Recruiting: Analysts Predict Where Tyran Stokes Will Commit

The Kansas basketball program is just a few weeks removed from a terrific recruiting stretch in which it landed commitments from four highly touted players in eight days.

The Jayhawks boast three commitments in the 2026 class and could receive another if Javon Bardwell successfully reclassifies up one year.

With next year's freshman class nearly wrapped up, there are only a few names left on the board for Bill Self and Co., the top one being Tyran Stokes.

The country's top player is still considering the Jayhawks, but Kentucky has emerged as the clear favorite in recent weeks. In a recent article published by the Rivals staff on Friday (subscription required), recruiting analysts Jamie Shaw, Joe Tipton, Jack Pilgrim, and Shay Wildeboor all predicted that Stokes will end up in Lexington when it is all said and done.

Tyran Stokes Projected to Commit to Kentucky

All four analysts, including a KU insider in Wildeboor, believe that Stokes will be a Wildcat. That is very telling of how his recruitment appears to be shaping up right now.

This isn't all that surprising, considering Kentucky became the favorite around June when it hosted him on an official visit. KU has stayed in the race throughout the summer and never backed out of his recruitment, though it has never been the frontrunner.

There was some renewed hope in Lawrence surrounding Stokes when point guard commit Taylen Kinney openly admitted he was recruiting Stokes to follow him to KU. However, predictions like these have been echoed by many insiders, including the 247 Sports staff earlier this month.

The rising senior at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California, is an incredibly talented prospect who could easily be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2027 NBA Draft.

He is a 6-foot-7, 230-pound forward with an elite vertical and is one of the best rim-runners scouts have seen in recent years. Wherever he ends up, he will be a Day 1 star and the centerpiece of that program.

The other schools still involved are Oregon and USC, but at this point, it looks like a two-school race between Kentucky and Kansas.

If anything changes with Stokes, it would come as a surprise given how late in his recruiting process it is.

At the very least, Kansas has Bardwell to fall back on if he completes his reclassification, which would give the 2026 class yet another 5-star addition.