Kansas, Bill Self facing serious competition to land nation's No. 1 prospect

It's no secret that Kansas head coach Bill Self is looking to rebuild his program after a disappointing 2024-25 season and the departure of key players, like Hunter Dickinson. However, Self isn't the only one looking toward the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2026 to do just that.

Tyran Stokes, a long-time target for the Jayhawks, has received attention from blue-blood programs across the country, including Kentucky and Gonzaga, as well as the Oregon Ducks and Arkansas Razorbacks.

Currently, Stokes has visited the Jayhawks and the Louisville Cardinals. He already has official visits scheduled with the Kentucky Wildcats, Ducks, Razorbacks, and Gonzaga Bulldogs.

That brings Stokes' total for programs under consideration up to six, basing it only on teams that he has already visited or plans to visit.

Following his visit with the Jayhawks, Stokes shared promising photos, building the excited amongst Kansas fans that their head coach could land the highly-coveted recruit.

However, just a few weeks later, it was revealed that Arkansas head coach and former Kentucky legend, John Calipari, was working to snag Stokes out from under Self.

Why is Tyran Stokes the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026?

Not only is Stokes already 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, but the master class player is also an absolute star on the court for his high school, Notre Dame.

• 21.0 points per game
• 9.3 rebounds per game
• 3.9 assists per game
• 1.5 steals per game

The biggest hurdle for Self to overcome is the fact that Stokes is a Louisville, KY native, growing up just a few miles from the Louisville Cardinals' campus and just a few hours from the Kentucky Wildcats' home court.

Currently, On3 gives the Cardinals a 42.7 percent chance to land Stokes, but the site also gives the Jayhawks a 37.3 percent chance to steal the small forward from his hometown team.