Top 2026 Recruit Eyeing Gonzaga, Challenging Basketball Power Dynamics

Tyran Stokes, the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026, is expected to take an official visit to Gonzaga, a move that has captured the attention of the college basketball world. This development is significant due to recent changes in the NCAA landscape, including the House settlement and the legalization of direct revenue sharing.

These changes have positioned schools without football programs, like Gonzaga, to compete more effectively for elite talent that had previously been reserved for schools with larger donor bases. The revenue-sharing model has provided more institutional support to athletes across all sports, giving basketball-first programs the financial resources to recruit top-tier players without competing against football for resources.

Gonzaga has a proven track record of landing five-star recruits, developing lottery picks, and earning No. 1 seeds. However, the economics of the NIL had made it increasingly difficult for basketball-first schools to operate in the same recruiting tier as revenue-heavy powerhouses. Stokes' interest, and that of other top recruits currently being courted by the Zags, suggests that Gonzaga's development model now has the economic allure to attract players previously boxed out and earmarked for Power-5 schools.

Stokes is a physically imposing and offensively skilled player, with the potential to make an immediate impact at the collegiate level. His defensive versatility and elite rebounding abilities further enhance his value as a prospect. While there are some questions about his jump shot, the upside as a league-average shooter is considered very real.

Gonzaga's appeal to Stokes goes beyond just his talent on the court. The program has quietly become a landing spot for elite players who see Spokane as the most direct pathway to the NBA. With Gonzaga's pending move to the Pac-12 and the rapidly shifting NIL structure, the gap between the Zags and the traditional "blue bloods" is closing faster than anyone expected.