Louisville’s recruiting push under Pat Kelsey has already been busy, but the Cardinals may be circling one name above the rest in the 2027 class: Reese Alston.
Kelsey and his staff put together a loaded offseason, stacking 10 commitments with seven coming out of the Transfer Portal and three from the 2026 recruiting class. Even while handling that work for the present, Kelsey was out on the recruiting trail making a strong run at some of the best 2027 prospects, and Louisville has stayed in the mix for several elite targets.
One of them is CJ Rosser, the No. 1 overall recruit in the class. The elite power forward recently made his second unofficial visit to North Carolina, and Jamie Shaw of On3 Sports continues to lean toward the Tar Heels for Rosser. Louisville, meanwhile, has not been hearing the same encouraging things there.
Alston has been a different story.
The Cardinals continue to hear exactly what they want to hear about the 5-star point guard, and Shaw’s latest way-too-early prediction again had Louisville as the favorite. Alston remains one of the major names in the class, and Louisville keeps trending as the frontrunner in Shaw’s view.
Kelsey’s interest in point guard play has been obvious from the start. Louisville has had strong options at the position during his first two seasons, with Mikel Brown Jr. and Chucky Hepburn, and Jackson Shelstad is set to be in the mix this upcoming season. The long-term plan, though, appears aimed at landing Alston.
That battle is far from closed. Alston has already collected more than 36 offers, with schools such as Purdue, Florida State, Houston, Illinois, Kansas, Texas, USC, and others involved. Still, the programs generating the most noise around him are Louisville, Kentucky, Wichita State, LSU, and a newer name in the picture: Tennessee.
Shaw reported that the Volunteers are working to break into the race, and 247Sports has also listed Tennessee with a “warm” designation. Louisville and Wichita State are the only two schools that have secured visits so far, but Kentucky, LSU, and now Tennessee are all trying to build momentum against the Cardinals.
Alston’s resume backs up the attention. He is rated as high as No. 6 overall and No. 3 among point guards. The 6-foot-3 guard was named to the MaxPreps Junior All-American First Team and also picked up honorable mention on its overall All-American teams after putting up 22.2 points, 5.3 assists, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.7 steals per game.
Kelsey spent multiple games watching Alston this summer, and Louisville now has to hold off a late push from Tennessee while protecting what has become its top target in the 2027 class.
In Other News...
Louisville May Have One More Frontcourt Boost Left This Offseason
Louisvilles offseason makeover has already been extensive, with nine players gone and 10 newcomers in place, including seven transfers and three freshmen. Even after that level of turnover, the Cardinals are still looking for ways to strengthen the frontcourt, which has kept the staff active in the transfer market and willing to keep pushing for another addition if the fit is right.
One name still in the mix is Michigan State transfer Jaxon Kohler, a productive big man coming off a season in which he averaged 12.5 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He is seeking a fifth year of eligibility, and his recruitment has turned into a real battle as Louisville continues to weigh its chances against a handful of other high-profile programs, leaving one more possible boost to the roster hanging out there. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Secondary Just Got More Crowded Before The Ole Miss Opener
Louisvilles secondary got a little more experienced and a lot more interesting heading into the opener against Ole Miss, with three returning starting defensive backs back in the mix. Cornerback Jabari Mack is among them, and the biggest boost may be safety DAngelo Hutchinson, who announced his return under the new 5-for-5 rule and gives the Cardinals a familiar presence at the back end of the defense.
Hutchinson has been around the program for a long time, and last season he finished as the teams second-leading tackler, which makes his return about more than just filling a roster spot. It adds continuity, leadership and a clear layer of competition for starting jobs in the defensive backfield, the kind of depth that can matter early when the schedule gets tested right away. [Read more 🡒]
Louisvilles Push For A 5-Star Guard Just Got Much Tougher
Pat Kelsey and Louisville have been making an early push for five-star point guard Reese Alston, one of the premier names in the 2027 class, and the Cardinals have leaned into what they believe makes the program appealing. Kelseys involvement in the recruitment has been a selling point, along with the style of play Louisville can offer to a guard of Alstons caliber, as the staff tries to stay ahead of a crowded field for a prospect with plenty of scholarship attention.
The race has started to tighten, though, as Tennessee has moved into the picture and added another prominent program to the mix. Louisville still has work to do to hold onto its early edge, and the next steps in Alstons recruitment figure to matter even more as the Cardinals try to keep him at the center of their 2027 board. [Read more 🡒]