NCAA Basketball Recruiting: 7 early teams to watch for No. 1 class of 2026 forward Tyran Stokes

With the news that AJ Dybansta reclassed to the 2025 NCAA Basketball recruiting class, a new battle has emerged for the No. 1 overall prospect for the 2026 group. For a while, point guard Brandon McCoy from out west was viewed as the top player. However, someone else that has becoma a top-tier target is Tyran Stokes, who stock has risen all the way to the top in the Summer.

Stokes is a 6'7 power forward out of Napa, California. He's coming off star performances at the Peach Jam as a clear standout two-way player, while also earning a Gold Medal with the U17 Team USA team a month ago as a clear lead guy. He's an elite all-around scorer, capable of shooting the ball and is a quality facilitator and rebounder as well.

With the recent news that Stokes is transferring to Notre Dame High School in Los Angeles, the 5-star forward's recruitment is now in the spotlight even more. According to an article by Sam Lance of Zagsblog.com, there are seven NCAA Basketball programs that currently stand out early on.

Here's a closer look at how Stokes may fit with the program

Arkansas Razorbacks

Even before the coaching change this offseason, Arkansas was in the mix of landing 5-star prospects, including one-time No. 1 overall guard commit, Nick Smith. Expect that to ramp up even more with John Calipari now in charge.

Forward position is definitely one of need for the program going forward, once Adou Thiero moves on two years from now. Stokes would be the star pickup for Arkansas in the start of the Calipari era and with the resources they reportedly have, should definitely be a contender to try and get him out of California.