The Tyran Stokes saga came to an end on Tuesday evening as the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2026 cycle chose Bill Self and Kansas over Mark Pope and Kentucky.
With the Five-Star Plus+ small forward headed to Lawrence, the 14 current five-star recruits in the cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies, are all committed or signed.
Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils have the nation’s top-ranked class thanks to a trio of five-stars. Eleven other schools have notched a five-star this cycle. Rivals is breaking down where the top 14 recruits in the nation are headed next season, accompanied with scouting summaries via Rivals’ Jamie Shaw.
[ $19.99 gets you a FULL year of On3 | Rivals national coverage ]
School: Rainier Beach (Wash.)Status: CommittedScouting Summary: “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.”
School: Paul VI Catholic (Va.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “Smith has a sturdy frame with twitchy athleticism and plus length that helps him to play bigger than his listed height. He is an impact defender, able use his quick feet and active hands guarding the ball, or utilize his aggression and length off the ball, and in the passing lanes. Smith has been a stalwart at Paul VI throughout his high school career. He initially carved out space as a dirty work-type connector. A guy who loved to do all the things that not many others enjoyed. As he got older, he moved from the fifth option to the second option. As the connector on the team, Smith has always elevated the floor, and even in some star-studded teams of the past, Smith made it very difficult to take off the floor. This year, Smith has been at the top of the scouting report.”
School: St. Mary’s (Ariz.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “It is difficult to watch Cam Williams play and not see the upside that he brings to the table. This is part of the reason why he was a Rivals outlier among the top-35 prospects in the country since last year. Listed at 6-foot-11, he brings great length, an intriguing skill set, and intriguing athletic fluidity. So, while his natural physical disposition catches your eye, you see the skill he brings with that. Williams prefers facing the basket on the offensive end. He is a more than capable spot shooter, knocking down close to 50 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this summer. With that, Williams has shown flashes of straight-line driving the basket to finish above the rim. He has good athletic burst with a head of steam. While he is going to need to continuing tightening things to he’ll find more consistency, you see the flashes of him pushing the break with the ball in his hands, and you see some advantages he creates in the floor.”
School: Prolific Prep (Fla.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “If I were the choose one word to describe Caleb Holt I would be forced to choose between floor-raiser or disruptor. I say floor-raiser because of his ability to dribble, shoot, and pass his team into advantages. He does not force things and he remains consistent in his ability to make a play within the flow of the offense. I say the word disruptor because of his presence on the defensive end of the floor. He has excellent anticipation, able to guard on ball or get aggressively into the passing lanes. There is a lot to like with what Holt brings to winning basketball.”
School: St. John Bosco (Calif.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “Watching Christian Collins play, he has always had the coveted positional size and length, which pair well with his mixture of fluid and explosive athleticism. He has been intriguing throughout this process, consistently showing high-level flashes, but also leaving some food on the plate. He started to turn the corner around Nike’s Peach Jam in July, where he proved to be a high-caliber defensive presence, averaging 2.1 STOCKS through the event. It was easy to see his athletic fluidity and length put to use in the half-court as he would slide and switch throughout a possession. He had active hands and collected deflections as well.”
School: Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.)Status: CommittedScouting Summary: “The first thing you notice about Dylan Mingo is his size. He is big, with plus length and wide-set shoulders that should continue to be able to add good weight as he gets older. Mingo is every bit of his listed 6-foot-5, if not more. Mingo is an excellent defensive presence. Able to turn a primary ball handler while guarding the point of attack or switching down a line up to defend off the ball, or closer to the basket. He has excellent length and great anticipation with a “want-to” on the defensive side of the ball. He collects a lot of deflections an can be disruptive on that end.”
School: Western Reserve Academy (Ohio)Status: Signed Scouting Summary: “The intrigue with Thompson stems from the intersection of skill already in place, with considerable upside to continue growing into. The long-armed 6-foot-7 wing shot 38.7 percent from three on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit this summer, on 5.5 attempts per game. He averaged 22.1 points with his Indiana Elite team and scored an efficient 1.237 points per possession. In 12 July games on the 3SSB Circuit, Thompson went to 20 or more in eight games and 30 or more in four. His scoring arsenal is become more than just a shooting threat.”
School: Blair Academy (N.J.)Status: CommittedScouting Summary: “When it comes to Deron Rippey’s physical makeup, it can be two-fold. Watching him play, you see the top-tier athleticism and burst. He has a jet-quick first step, able to blow by defenders consistently without the need for a screen. This burst is also enhanced by his excellent understanding of speed and pace. A quick scan for Rippey’s name across social media, and you see his above-the-rim exploits. In transition and even in the half-court, Rippey uses his burst to get to the rim and then his pop to finish plays with authority at the rim. Rippey plays with excellent body control and does a great job of reading the defense to take the advantages they give. While he does not need a screen to touch the paint, his pace in the screen and roll gets his team a lot of clean looks.”
School: Prolific Prep (Fla.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “What you see with Bruce Branch III’s game is his connectivity as a wing. Bringing that lengthy 6-foot-7 frame into play, you see a player who can knock down a spot shot, move the ball along in the half-court, and guard multiple spots on the floor. There is a lot of intrigue with his upside as a prospect because you see the versatility he could provide as he continues to develop. Defensively might be the most intriguing aspect of his game currently. Branch carries a plus wing span to go with mobility and some athletic fluidity. You can see, as he continues to learn angles and leverage, his upside as a defender who could scale up or down a lineup from the wing position. He has natural timing and some pop in there. Offensively, Branch is becoming a steady spot shooter. Someone who can pull gravity, keeping a defender attached, and provide spacing on the floor.”
School: Inglewood (Calif.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “Crowe committed to Missouri during Peach Jam, ultimately choosing the Tiger over Kentucky and others. Crowe averaged 26.5 points in the games he played throughout the week. He is a volume shooter, taking almost 20 shots to get his 26.5. Throughout the week, the ball seemed to stop in Crowe’s hands stalling the offense. He is going to need to work on his defense as well. In Crowe’s four games played the Oakland Soldiers were 2-2 and Crowe had a combined -14 (+/-). There is no denying the scoring ability, his footwork and shooting touch. Finding efficiency and getting it within the flow will be some next steps for him.”
School: Sierra Canyon (Calif.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “McCoy was a disruptor all McDonald’s All American week. He guards the ball with a purpose, also getting into the passing lanes. He even blocked a three-point attempt. Offensively, he made some plays in the paint and finished some plays, turning defense into offense. Developing his pace and shooting touch will be the next steps for him, but it is hard to ignore the disruption he brings.”
School: James Hubert Blake (Md.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “You immediately notice the length and the frame with Baba Oladotun. The jump shot is what he does, and it is where his production comes from at this point. He is around 6-foot-7 with long arms. His footwork getting into the jump shot is clean, and Oladotun is confident getting into it off the bounce or the catch. He is a threat as a pull-up jump shooter, getting a high release with good balance. He will need to continue adding weight, and with that, he could become a more consistent rebounder. With his length and natural athleticism, there is an upside there on the defensive end. The tools are obvious, and the upside here is worth monitoring.”
School: Columbus (Fla.)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “There is a smooth and calming factor to Caleb Gaskins’ game. The 6-foot-8 forward is never rushed, and he always seems to be in position to make a play. In this one, Gaskins shot the ball very well, feet set, great balance and hit three or four of them from behind the arc. He moves the ball well and I really like the versatility he brings on the defensive end. There are a lot of connecting pieces he brings.”
School: Heritage (Texas)Status: SignedScouting Summary: “The efficiency Bryson Howard brings to the table is the calling card. And when I say efficiency, it is not just his shooting percentages; it is his ability to create an advantage for his team, or himself, with minimal motion. Howard is the son of former NBA All-Star wing Josh Howard. He is someone who burst on the scene late, because he waited his time. Quickly, he was able to step from a complimentary player into an efficient alpha role. Howard is able to dribble, shoot, or pass into an advantage. He will get off the ball if it is not here. He can work in the mid post or low block, or space the floor, knocking down shots from the corner. Howard’s game is efficient, and his skill set is streamlined. He is not one to sit on the ball and pull out counters; he will get off the ball and relocate to pull gravity with him.”