For months, Kansas and Kentucky have engaged in a duel to land arguably the nation’s top 2026 prospect.
On Tuesday, that duel came to an end as Seattle (WA) Rainier Beach five-star small forward Tyran Stokes announced his commitment to the Jayhawks.
According to 247Sports, the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder is ranked as the No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 class.
Stokes was named to the 2025-26 USA TODAY Sports All-America boys basketball first team following a standout senior season.
After transferring to Rainier Beach last November, Stokes played a massive role leading the Vikings to a 29-1 record and the program’s 10th state championship. He averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and four steals per game.
Landing five-star talent is nothing new for Bill Self and the Jayhawks, and neither is landing the top player in the country.
With Stokes’ commitment, it marks back-to-back recruiting cycles in which the No. 1 player in the country committed to Kansas. Last cycle, it was projected lottery pick Darryn Peterson.
Unlike that cycle, though, this cycle has more than one five-star commitment. Stokes joins a class that includes five-star point guard Taylen Kinney out of Overtime Elite (GA).
Kansas’ class now includes Stokes, Kinney, four-star center Davion Adkins, four-star small forward Trent Perry, and four-star shooting guard Luke Barnett.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY Sports: Elite senior Tyran Stokes adds to Kansas' 2026 recruiting class