Oregon reportedly remains in the mix for 5-star recruit Tyran Stokes

The fight for Tyran Stokes‘ commitment has long been considered a two-horse race between Kentucky and Kansas.

But a third contender continues to poke around.

ESPN’s Paul Biancardi reported Tuesday morning that the Oregon Ducks are “seriously in the mix” to land Stokes. On Monday, Stokes, ranked No. 1 overall in the 2026 high school class, posted a picture on his Instagram Story of his top three schools: Kentucky, Oregon, and Kansas. That was the trio of finalists he announced all the way back in November, but ever since, the Ducks appeared to be falling out of the hunt as Kansas gained momentum with Kentucky trailing in second.

That might no longer be the case, though.

“A source told ESPN that Oregon is seriously in the mix and that he’s closely watching whom these schools are signing in the portal before making his decision,” Biancardi wrote.

Tyran Stokes shared Kentucky, Oregon, and Kansas on his Instagram story, highlighting them as his three schools.

A source told ESPN that Oregon is seriously in the mix and that he’s closely watching whom these schools are signing in the portal before making his decision.

Stokes… pic.twitter.com/W5g4G20p4l

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) April 21, 2026

All this being said, Stokes’ recruitment remains mostly a mystery. He made a surprise two-day visit to Lexington last week, but reports coming out of his time on campus say his experience did not move the needle in Kentucky’s favor.

Stokes’ partnership with Nike has always loomed large in his decision-making process, and that’s helped Mark Pope‘s pitch at Kentucky, especially with Kansas being an adidas program. But there is no bigger Nike school than Oregon, and that could play a real role in how the rest of his recruitment goes.

Could Stokes follow former Kentucky guard Jasper Johnson, who recently announced his transfer to Oregon, to play college basketball in Eugene next season? It’s becoming a real possibility. But if Stokes is waiting until rosters are mostly filled out before committing, we could be waiting even longer for a decision.

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