Top Ranked Recruit in 2026 Class Has Plans to Visit Gonzaga
Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have had a wildly successful 25 year run, making the NCAA Tournament every year since 1999 and going to nine straight Sweet 16's with a pair of national championship appearances - all done primarily without the luxury of blue chip prospects out of high school.
There are exceptions, including Zach Collins, Jalen Suggs, and Chet Holmgren, but for the most part the Zags have relied on developing talent across multiple years, and scouring the transfer and international market to unearth hidden gems.
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That doesn't mean Few and the Zags aren't pursuing the very best of the best, however, as evidenced by their interest in the number one ranked recruit in the 2026 class in Tyran Stokes, a 6'7 wing from Sherman Oaks, CA.
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A report from ESPN's Paul Biancardi indicated Stokes has plans to visit Gonzaga as well as Oregon and Arkansas. He's already visited Kansas and Kentucky and has another visit to Lexington scheduled May 15-17.
The rising senior attends the same high school, Notre Dame, as former Zag guard Dusty Stromer, and Gonzaga's familiarity with the coaching staff over there can't hurt them on the recruiting trail.
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Stokes is a 6'7 wing with exceptional athleticism and physicality, who has proven himself as more than just an explosive dunker with his strong playmaking skills, growth defensively, and burgeoning leadership qualities.
"Tyran's playmaking ability, rebounding and flexibility on both ends allowed him to be a dominant force this season," Notre Dame coach Matt Sargent said. "His growth as a leader and focused competitor is where he really shined toward the end of the season."
Gonzaga has landed the No. 1 recruit in the country before in Holmgren, and while Kansas and Kentucky are the favorites right now - with Arkansas making a push under coach Calipari - coach Few and the Zags will pull out all the stops to try to get Stokes out to Spokane where he would thrive in Gonzaga's high octane offense.
Related: Gonzaga Ranked Number One Player Development Program in College Basketball
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