The Kansas Jayhawks’ offseason has been a whirlwind. From head coach Bill Self announcing his return, to nearly the entire team exiting. Now, Self and his staff have to use the portal to supplement an extremely promising freshman class.
So far, the Jayhawks have added the likes of Keanu Dawes and Leroy Blyden Jr. to the corps, and combine that with a freshman class of five-star guard Taylen Kinney, four-star center Davion Adkins, four-star wing Trent Perry, and four-star shooting guard Luke Barnett, and the foundation begins to lay itself out.
However, the Jayhawks are still missing out on that one star. The one guy who could be deemed the powerhouse who will catapult KU right back to the top. While there are several portal names that could still fit the bill, the No. 1 recruit in the nation, Tyran Stokes, has been a chase that feels years old.
Stokes reposts old Instagram post in latest update
Minutes ago, Stokes reposted his original top three list of schools that comprise Kansas, Oregon, and the University of Kentucky.
Per his Instagram, Rainier Beach’s Tyran Stokes sets his top 3: Kentucky, Kansas, and Oregon. @tyran_stokes pic.twitter.com/hIuBkoJP6Y
— Kevin Cacabelos (@SeaTownKev) April 20, 2026
Earlier this month, ZagsBlog had reported that both Gonzaga and Washington University had both been making pushes towards Stokes; however, this repost from the five-star appears to refute the claim.
Who is leading in the race for Stokes?
As of publishing, 247Sports still predicts for the Jayhawks to land Stokes with a “medium” confidence prediction.
Meanwhile, according to On3, Kentucky is slightly in the lead with a 25.1% chance, with Kansas sitting at 22%.
Stokes would be a game-changer for Self
His relationship with Kansas assistant Kurtis Townsend has been repeated as a key factor in his recruitment, as Townsend once recruited Stokes’ high school coach, Jamal Crawford, to Michigan.
As of publishing, there is no timetable for Stokes' commitment, although maybe his repost this afternoon signs that he is finally coming to a decision.
Below is an excerpt from Adam Finkelstein. Finkelstein serves as a Director of Scouting.
“Stokes has more sheer talent than anyone in the country and while he’s continued to grow his offensive game with each passing year, he now just needs to prove that he can consistently drive winning.”
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