Report: 2026 No. 1 basketball recruit Tyran Stokes planning to play football for Notre Dame (Calif.)

Tyran Stokes, a Louisville native who’s currently in his senior year at Notre Dame in Sherman Oaks, Calif., has been the No. 1 overall basketball prospect in the 2026 cycle for some time.

While his final year of prep hoops is yet to get underway, Stokes is reportedly about to keep busy with another sport this fall. On Monday, High School on SI’s Tarek Fattal reported that Stokes is expected to suit up for his first football practice at Notre Dame today and is planning to play for the Knights this fall.

Stokes checks in at 6-foot-7 and 225 pounds, but getting on the gridiron is a new development, one that will likely take many by surprise. The Five-Star Plus+ small forward is set to join a Notre Dame football team that’s currently 2-2 this season.

The Knights lost their first game of the season to Downey, rattled off a pair of wins over Bishop Alemany and St. Francis, then fell to Servite, the No. 11 team in the state per the Massey Ratings, last week.

Stokes is planning to play wide receiver for the Knights, according to Fattal. Notre Dame is on a bye this week before heading to Culver City for its next game on Sept. 26.

Stokes remains uncommitted

On the hardwood, Stokes is as coveted as they come. Currently one of just two five-stars per Rivals this cycle, he’s continued to sit atop the 2026 rankings. Stokes’ recruitment has yet to fully cement finalists, too.

He’s taken official visits to Louisville, Kansas, Kentucky, and most recently, USC. The Cardinals and Wildcats have worked tirelessly to try and bring Stokes back to his home state at the college level. According to KSR+’s Jacob Polacheck, he’s also planning to visit Oregon and Gonzaga.

“I want to play for someone who really appreciates me outside of the court,” Stokes previously told Rivals. “Someone who is going to talk with me just about how things are going and not just talk basketball all the time. I’m looking for a home, a place that I’m going to feel comfortable.”

Tyran Stokes Scouting Report

Rivals’ Jamie Shaw previously wrote this of Stokes as a basketball prospect:

“At first glance, with Tyran Stokes, you see that he has the optimal positional size, the explosive athleticism, and an ability to create advantages from multiple levels of the floor. So while he is still developing into a role as an alpha player, you see that he has the immediate framework to work with. A look across the 2026 class at this point and you quickly see the lack of star power that the 2025 cycle had. So with that, a lot of the players will need to continue developing various aspects of their games.

…Stokes is no different, as there are things he is going to have to continue working through to reach his highest top-end potential. We have already touched on the balance points to help more consistently make plays off movement. Also, finding a consistent motor will be big with him. However, given his intriguing feel and his natural tools, there are a couple of different pathways that are apparent for him.”