Tyran Stokes is one of the most highly anticipated college basketball prospects in recent years. According to 247Sports, he is the No. 1-ranked recruit in the 2026 recruiting class. While many players in his class have picked a school to commit to, Stokes has not. He is taking a slower and more methodical approach to his recruitment. This has led to plenty of speculation about where he will end up.
One popular theory has been that Stokes, who is a Louisville native, could end up with his home state team. On Wednesday, On3 insider Jamie Shaw made his predictions for some of the top 2026 prospects, including Tyran Stokes. He believes that Kentucky is the favorite to earn his commitment, but also thinks that Arkansas could be an option.
“Over the last couple of months, conversations with sources around the recruitment have started to shift toward a Kentucky lean with Arkansas and John Calipari picking up some momentum,” Shaw wrote. “Stokes has not spoken to the media for a few months now, and things remain somewhat quiet around his recruitment.
“This one has been interesting to track. Stokes is a native of Louisville, Kentucky; however, he has played his high school basketball, to this point, in California. Continue to track the visits, which campuses he sets foot on, and watch if a commitment date emerges. There could still be some twists and turns in this one.”
🔮 Calling My Shot
I break down the recruitment of top prospects in the 2026 Rivals 150 & place my predictions based on where things stand today. 🎯
👉 [READ] https://t.co/VnK3QFFo6G pic.twitter.com/h29DacvZJY
— Jamie Shaw (@JamieShaw5) August 5, 2025
While Shaw listed Kentucky as his official prediction, he only gave it a confidence level of 35%. He then listed Arkansas as the Wildcats’ biggest threat, followed by the rest of the field.
Tyran Stokes Explains What He Is Looking for in a School
With teams competing for Tyran Stokes’ services, he spoke with On3 last week about what he is looking for in a school. Most importantly, he wants a school that is focused on development and building a good foundation for him as a player. He also mentioned that he wants to play for a team that is not going to avoid tough competition. If the option is available, he spoke about wanting to play all the top teams each year.
There are several schools that could fit that mold, but it appears that Kentucky is the early favorite to land his services. At least, that is what insider Jamie Shaw thinks.
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