Top recruit signs Nike NIL deal; Kansas basketball is out of the running

Kansas basketball is out of the running for the top prospect of this recruiting class. Tyran Stokes signed a Name, Image, and Likeness deal with Nike, eliminating KU, which is an Adidas school.

This ends a lot of speculation on whether Kansas head coach Bill Self still had a chance to reel in Stokes. The top Nike schools that were on Stokes' list include Kentucky and Louisville. 

Kansas can turn its full attention to other recruiting targets

With Stokes, the top-ranked recruit according to On3, out of the picture, Self and his staff can focus on other prospects. The Jayhawks have already received verbal commitments from Taylen Kinney and Trent Perry, and Javon Bardwell is set to announce his decision on Friday. 

Another top prospect, Davion Adkins, is set to announce his decision on Sunday. KU, Houston, and Rutgers are the finalists for Adkins’ final destination. 

Bardwell is in the 2027 recruiting class, but could reclassify to the 2026 class. If Self can gain the commitments of these four, he will have an outstanding class already in his pocket. Combine that with a young, talented roster for this season, and Kansas should be set for next year as well, barring anything drastic. 

Adding Stokes to that class would have been incredible, but Kinney is ranked 15th by On3, and Perry has moved a few spots to 102nd. Adkins is ranked 32nd, and Bardwell has seen a significant jump in recent rankings, rising from 35th in the 2027 class to 18th. 

Of course, Adkins and Bardwell haven’t announced, and no one should count them in this KU class until they do so and pick the Jayhawks. Still, the future looks bright for Kansas, and Self and his staff have been working diligently to assemble a strong recruiting class for next season.