"Better than Coop?", "Franchise kid": Hoops fans react as 5-star recruit Tyran Stokes lands major magazine cover amid recruitment silence

Tyran Stokes, the No. 1-ranked prospect in the Class of 2026 by On3 and 247Sports, has kept college basketball fans guessing about his future. However, while his recruitment remains silent, the buzz around his talent continues to grow, especially after landing a major cover with SLAM HS.

The Notre Dame High School (California) forward was unveiled as the digital cover star of the latest SLAM HS edition on Tuesday. Stokes was also named the SLAM boys high school diarist for the 2025-26 season.

Additionally, he received an invitation to the SLAM Summer Classic Vol. 7 set for Aug.18.

A snippet of his interview with SLAM, which featured his mom, was shared on Instagram along with the announcement. The post drew a lot of reactions from fans.

“Franchise kid,” one fan wrote. “Better than Coop (Wilson)??” another fan wrote. “Love this!!! Congrats young man! Great job mom! ❤️😍,” a fan said.

Credit: IG/@slam_hs

“He is next up! And we are all fans let’s go T,” one fan commented. “Love this family and love the fire they live with!!❤️🔥❤️🔥,” a fan wrote. “Love it❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ keep being you T,” another fan commented.

Credit: IG/@slam_hs

After AJ Dybantsa reclassified to the 2025 class, Stokes took the top spot and garnered more attention from major college programs.

Kentucky, Kansas and Louisville are reportedly leading the race for his commitment, while Arkansas and USC are viewed as outside contenders.

Internationally, Stokes is decorated, helping the U.S. win the FIBA U19 World Cup in July. He also won gold medals at the FIBA U17 World Cup (2024) and FIBA U16 Americas Championship (2023).

Tyran Stokes lists factors that will affect college choice

Tyran Stokes is one of the most sought after prospects in the 2026 class, with several top programs battling for his signature.

He listed some of the criteria that will affect his college choice.

“Definitely development, one,” Stokes said on Monday, via KYSports.TV. “A good foundation, someone who has fans and puts their all into the school. Not just someone who says, ‘Oh, we have a good football team or a good basketball team.’ I want to go somewhere where I can actually enjoy college and go to a nice football game, and have a nice baseball team to go to. Just experience school.”

Following his latest comments, there are speculations that he is set to commit to Mark Pope’s Kentucky Wildcats, but nothing has been announced yet.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez