Pat Kelsey has landed Louisville basketball‘s first Class of 2026 commitment: London Johnson, a 6-foot-3 guard who has spent the past three seasons in the NBA G League.
Yes, you read that correctly. The 21-year-old Johnson announced his pledge to the Cardinals on Monday in a post to X, formerly Twitter. According to multiple reports, the Norcross, Georgia, native will likely have two years of eligibility beginning in 2026-27.
The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman was first to report the news of Johnson’s commitment. In a post to X, Goodman said the guard is expected to arrive on campus midway through Year 2 of Kelsey’s tenure “and will sit out for the rest of the season.”
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Johnson’s commitment to U of L comes less than a month after Thierry Darlan became the first player to obtain NCAA eligibility after playing in the G League — signing with Santa Clara after two seasons in the professional ranks.
Louisville first offered Johnson in 2021, entering its fourth and final season under former coach Chris Mack. At the time, the guard ranked 46th overall and eighth at his position in the Class of 2022 on the 247Sports Composite. In addition to the Cards, he also held offers from Alabama, Auburn, Cincinnati, Clemson, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, N.C. State, Ole Miss, Southern California, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
Johnson, however, opted to join G League Ignite instead. He played in 55 games for the developmental team, averaging 10.5 points on 43.2% shooting (32.4% from 3-point range), 4.1 assists and two rebounds per appearance, before the league shut it down in 2024 — citing “the changing environment across youth and collegiate basketball” with regard to player compensation.
Johnson appeared in 21 G League games between stints with the Main Celtics and the Cleveland Charge during the 2024-25 season. Across 14.4 minutes per appearance, he averaged 3.1 points on 40% shooting (34.4% from 3) with 1.7 assists and 1.3 rebounds.
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To this point in the 2026 recruiting cycle, Louisville hasn’t had much luck with some of its biggest targets in the high school ranks.
Newport native Taylen Kinney, the No. 2 point guard in the class, committed to Kansas in late September. Last week, four-star wing Colben Landrew picked UConn. And the Cards have reportedly lost ground in the race for 502 native Tyran Stokes — the No. 1 player in the country — to archrival Kentucky.
College basketball’s early signing period runs Nov. 12-19.
Reach Louisville men’s basketball reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on X at @brooksHolton.
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This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball, Pat Kelsey get commitment from London Johnson
