Tyran Stokes made his high school football debut for Notre Dame on Friday. The top-ranked college basketball recruit immediately proved to be a cheat code on the gridiron.
Does this put his future on the hardwood at risk?
I do not know whether this immediate success as a high school football player will get Stokes to reconsider his basketball career but there might be an opportunity to do both. He would not be the first college hooper to also catch passes in the fall!
Who is Tyran Stokes?
At 6-foot-8, 250 pounds, Stokes is ranked as the No. 1 overall player in the college basketball recruiting Class of 2026. The five-star prospect plays small forward for Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California. He could play anywhere in the country but Kentucky, Kansas, Oregon, USC and Louisville seem to be his top suitors.
With that being said, the Trojans and head coach Eric Musselman were left in the dark on Stokes’ surprise decision to join the football team at Sherman Oaks for his senior year. I would imagine the Wildcats, Jayhawks, Cardinals and Ducks were equally as surprised but I cannot say for sure.
Nevertheless, Tyran Stokes joined the team as a wide receiver earlier this month because “this could be his last chance to just be a kid.” Pretty cool.
The monstrous pass-catcher needed to participate in 10 padded practices before he was allowed to compete in a game. A bye week last weekend allowed him to get on the field for the first time on Friday.
The top-ranked recruit in college basketball is already a high school football star at Notre Dame.
It did not take long for Stokes to find success in his new sport. You, quite literally, cannot miss him.
He is a full-grown man amongst boys.
2026 No. 1 basketball recruit nationally @tyran_stokes ready to roll tonight for @NDknightsFB pic.twitter.com/jG2BcJxyQy
— Alec Simpson (@alecsimpson5) September 27, 2025
Quarterback Wyatt Brown looked in Stokes’ direction every time he appeared on the field. The No. 1 overall recruit in college basketball caught two of his eight targets for 57 yards and a touchdown.
He actually scored two touchdowns — but one was called back for a penalty.
His first (and only) score of the game was a complete and total mismatch. 6-foot-8 Stokes left 5-foot-8 defensive back Derrick Huezo Jr. in the dust. Huezo could only shrug as if to say “what else can I do?”
Tyran Stokes touchdown.
— Benjamin Royer (@thebenroyer) September 27, 2025
45-yard pass from Wyatt Brown. That’s speed. 6-foot-8 strides. His second catch of the game.
Notre Dame leads Culver City 57-14. What a moment for the top basketball recruit in the nation in his high school football debut.@latsondheimer @latimessports pic.twitter.com/uoySz2bvzE
His second touchdown of the game, which did not count, was on a jump ball to the end zone.
TD‼️ The No. 1 basketball recruit in the 2026 class, Tyran Stokes, is making an IMPACT for Notre Dame (CA) football team🤯
— Rivals High School (@Rivals_HS) September 27, 2025
(via @Tarek_Fattal /Alec Moss) https://t.co/S0wEvExcMq https://t.co/HIYalJVxJE pic.twitter.com/DmMmVDXQbx
This was Tyran Stokes’ first-ever high school football game. It could be the start of a very special season.