Who is Tyran Stokes? Meet the 16 YO, 5-star hooper making waves at EYBL

There is a buzz around the top prospect of the 2026 draft class, Tyran Stokes. The 16-year-old, a consensus five-star recruit, is the top-ranked player by On3, 247Sports and ESPN. Stokes plays basketball for Prolific Prep in Napa, California, and is projected to be a first-round pick in the 2027 NBA draft.

Stokes is a player that every top program is keeping a close eye on. According to 247Sports, he currently holds 16 offers from the likes of Kentucky, Kansas, Louisville, UCLA, Texas Tech, LSU and Alabama. The 6-foot-7 power forward grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and talked about the program with On3 in January:

"I mean, it’s Kentucky, you know. It’s close to home. It’s exciting to see what they’re doing this year and see some of my friends win. Rob (Dillingham) and AB (Aaron Bradshaw) are over there doing their thing. I just want to see them win."

Although there is significant interest from various top programs, Stokes hasn't thought about his recruiting and visits yet.

"I’m really focused right now on improving my game and helping my team win," Stokes told On3. "So I have not really put too much thought into my recruiting and visits yet."

Texas and Xavier are among other programs interested in signing Stokes. Stokes hasn't had an official visit yet as he is biding his time and weighing all his options before making a decision.

How good is Tyran Stokes?

Tyran Stokes with The Grand Session World Championship Trophy

Tyran Stokes' skill on the floor has received a lot of recognition. He is a strong, big-bodied forward who is quick for his size and is a two-way player who has good hands on defense and is a fantastic finisher around the rim.

Stokes dropped a neat 31-8-5 and dominated his competition to start the EYBL's new session on Friday. Stokes' performance was filled with a lot of dunks as he shot an outstanding 12-17 from the field and went 4-4 from 3 in 27 minutes of play.

The five-star recruit watches players such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards to improve his game.

"I don’t just focus on one player when I watch basketball," Stokes said. "But I’ll definitely watch guys like LeBron, Anthony Edwards, KD, and Jayson Tatum. They’re aggressive and leaders of their team who can take over whenever they need to."

Tyran Stokes won the gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Under-16 Americas Championship with the USA National U16 team. The 16-year-old is already playing in the older categories, as he helped lead his team to a Peach Jam Championship in July last year. Stokes is now looking to take that next step in his development and is focusing on improving his leadership skills.

"I’m continuing to work on being a leader and a communicator on this team," the Kentucky native told On3.

Tyran Stokes will improve any team he goes to and the host of interest from top programs in acquiring his services is a testament to Stokes' talent. Florida State, Auburn, Arizona State, and Ole Miss are among the other top programs vying to sign the talented youngster.