Report: Louisville '27 Commit Isaac Ellis to Reclassify Back to 2026

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LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men's basketball program will be getting one of their Class of 2027 committments on campus a year earlier than originally expected.
Hickory (N.C.) Moravian Prep point guard Isaac Ellis is set to to reclassify back to the Class of 2026, and will enroll in classes at UofL this summer to join the team for their upcoming 2026-27 season, according to On3's Joe Tipton.
Previously committed to South Carolina, back on Nov. 25, Ellis not only decommitted from the Gamecocks, but reclassified from the 2026 cycle to move one year back. He would go on to commit to Louisville on Dec. 15 following an official visit to the Cardinals' win over Memphis.
In a video posted to social media following his decommitment from South Carolina, Ellis stated that his decision to reclassify to the 2027 cycle was mostly due to the fact that most programs are shifting their recruiting focus away from high school and towards the transfer portal.
“It’s a new day and age," Ellis said at the time. "Being young is not a good thing right now. ... Either you can make excuses and say that basketball is not right, or you can adjust to it. That’s all me and my family are doing."
The 6-foot-1, 165-pound point guard is now one of two commitments for Louisville in the 2026 cycle, following five-star center Obinna Ekezie Jr., who committed to the Cards last Sunday. As it currently stands, Ellis ranks as high as the No. 107 prospect in the 2027 cycle, and is the 32nd-ranked point guard and 178th-ranked prospect in the class, per the 247Sports Composite.
While also attending Moravian Prep, he also has played multiple seasons in the Overtime Elite with YNG Dreamerz, and is even the reigning OTE MVP. During the 2025-26 regular season, he averaged 29.3 points, 8.9 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. He also shot 40.8 percent from the field, 34.5 percent on three-point tries and 76.9 percent on free throw attempts.
Despite losing 11 members from their 2025-26 roster, Louisville is shaping up to be a force next season. They are bringing in a six-man transfer class that ranks No. 1 in the nation, consisting of Kansas forward/center Flory Bidunga, USC center Gabe Dynes, Iowa forward Alvaro Folgueiras, Arkansas wing Karter Knox, Dayton guard De'Shayne Montgomery and Oregon guard Jackson Shelstad. Guards London Johnson and Adrian Wooley are returning as well.
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McGavic is a 2016 Sport Administration graduate of the University of Louisville, and a native of the Derby City. He has been covering the Cardinals in various capacities since 2017, with a brief stop in Atlanta, Ga. on the Georgia Tech beat. Also an avid video gamer, a bourbon enthusiast, and fierce dog lover. Find him on Twitter at @Matt_McGavic