The country’s No. 1 basketball recruit, five-star small forward Tyran Stokes, isn’t a Kansas Jayhawk quite yet, and the question of whether Bill Self can close the deal for the McDonald’s All-American remains in the air.
An update on Saturday from Jeff Goodman suggested that Stokes could make a decision on his future as soon as Monday.
Tyran Stokes’ Latest in Recent Days
On Thursday, Stokes posted a clip receiving a tattoo on his left leg, and, for what it’s worth, there’s a replay of a Kentucky home basketball game in the background of the video posted to Stokes’ Instagram.
Bill Self and Kansas received a 247Sports “staff projection” to land Stokes earlier this year, and Stokes even seemingly reacted to the news that Self would return for a 24th season with the Jayhawks after much speculation whether he’d step down after a second-round loss to St. John’s in the NCAA Tourney.
But Thursday suggests, at the very least, that Kentucky has a legitimate shot at landing Stokes, who visited campus in Lexington earlier this month. Sure, it’s not surprising that Stokes, who was clearly marketing a local Seattle tattoo artist with his post, would include one of his top schools in the clip.
Kentucky, along with Oregon, is reportedly making a strong push to snake Stokes out from under Self.
In October 2025, Stokes narrowed his search to Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Oregon and USC. Stokes has a deal with Nike, and Kentucky and Oregon, two schools considered in play for Stokes, are both Nike schools.
It might seem silly to think that what brand of sneakers Stokes wears would play a legitimate factor in his recruitment, but college basketball, like any collegiate program, is a business nowadays. Is it entirely shocking that the company lining Stokes’ pockets would have a voice in his commitment?
No, it’s not the deciding factor, but it plays a serious role in conversations with a school like Kansas, which is arguably the biggest Adidas affiliate in college basketball as of 2026. If something as trivial as brands can play a role in his recruitment, why should we count out a clip merely featuring Kentucky?
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