BYU got its first commitment of the 2026 class as 4-Star Wing Dean Rueckert announced his commitment to BYU. Dean will enroll at BYU early for Spring term next April, and his dad told me that Dean has decided not to serve a mission. Dean will compete for playing time immediately on the wing as BYU replaces AJ Dybantsa and Richie Saunders.

Below are some other 2026 recruits I am watching. This is not an exhaustive list.

Austin Goosby — 4-Star Guard

Austin set his BYU back in June for September 26-28. Most services have Goosby ranked slightly higher than Dean. Goosby is a top 40 recruit according to 247 while Dean is rated 63rd overall by 247 composite. Austin is LDS has family on his mom’s side that live in Utah and cousins that attend BYU.

Austin and his family have been super impressed with Kevin Young, but this one is gonna be a tough battle. Austin’s brother is an offensive lineman at Texas and the family is a Longhorn family. Duke has also recently got involved, and they are a real threat in his recruitment too. BYU coaches have been recruiting Austin hard, and he would be a big addition if the Cougs can land him.

Perry is arguably the top JUCO prospect in the country. He recently set his BYU official visit for September 11-12 and also has official visits set with SMU, TCU, and Oregon. KJ is an explosive play maker who puts immense pressure on a defense with his ability to get to the rim. His recruitment took off in July after a huge performance at the JA48 in Richmond, VA and he’s seen offers poor in since. KJ received an offer from BYU July 17, and also has offers from Kansas, Oregon, USC, TCU, NC State, SMU, Cal, and several others. KJ took an unofficial visit to SMU in May and has his official visit scheduled there the week before BYU. Perry is a 6-foot-3 point guard who can really score the ball and create off the dribble. BYU has not really dabbled in the JUCO ranks since Kevin Young became coach, so this offer shows BYU thinks highly of KJ as a player.

Anthony Felesi — 4-Star Guard/Wing

Felesi is entering his second year at Utah Prep. A top 50 player in the 2026 class, Felesi is very familiar with BYU’s staff and program. Prior to Utah Prep, Felesi attended Orem HS. Felesi took an unofficial visit to BYU in March with Utah Prep teammate AJ Dybantsa during the West Virginia hoops game, and I talked to him after that about his experience. Anthony told me that his Utah Prep teammates AJ Dybantsa and Xavion Staton were in his ear non-stop about coming to BYU.

Felesi has setup official visits with Pitt, SDSU, UCLA USC, and Louisville. He told me earlier this week that BYU will be his final official visit, he’s just unsure on dates. Anthony also told me that AJ has told him that he will be his host on his official visit. Anthony is arguably the best perimeter defender in the 2026 class and a legitimate two-way player. BYU has some big competition for him, but the connection with AJ and Xavion gives BYU a real shot.

Baba Oladotun — 5-Star Wing

Baba is the biggest wildcard in BYU’s 2026 class. The #1 prospect in the 2027 class, Baba recently reclassified to 2026 and is rated the #5 player in 2026 according to 247 Composite. BYU offered Baba back in June, and industry sources have told me BYU is a school to watch for Baba. A 6-foot-9 wing, Baba has been compared to Kevin Durant with his ability to score as a long wing. He plays for KD’s AAU’s team and has a relationship with KD. Durant, of course, was coached by Kevin Young in Phoenix and spoke highly of Kevin Young to AJ Dybantsa.

Baba’s dad, Ibrahim, played at Virginia Tech and is handling a lot of Baba’s recruitment. Below is what he recently said about what they are looking for in a school.

“We are born-again Christians, so that also needs to complement us, because I want Baba to have the chance to be around believers, making sure that it’s a campus that tolerates different religions,” Ibrahim Oladotun said. “Then, I want to make sure that they have a good development program where Baba can get stronger, have academic excellence, and be in a situation where the support staff is willing to help him with his skills from shooting mechanics to dribbling. I want him to play in a very competitive conference. Playing in TV games is a big deal.”

Baba will likely take several visits, so I will be monitoring over the coming weeks if he sets a visit with BYU. Baba is very young for the 2026 class — he will join college as a 17 YO and has a birthday in December. He won’t be nearly as far along as say AJ Dybantsa, but AJ Dybantsa’s experience and development at BYU could be a factor when Baba considers BYU.

Jalen Montonati — 5-Star Forward

Rated a 5-star recruit by 247’s composite rankings, BYU hasn’t been on Jalen quite as long as the aforementioned players on the list. Jalen preps in Oklahoma and is the son of former Oklahoma State basketball player Brian Montonati. BYU offered Jalen in May and he immediately became one of BYU’s top targets. A 6-foot-7 forward, Jalen’s strength is his ability to stretch the floor and hit shots. Jalen is different than other guys on this list in that his clear strength is moving without the ball and knocking down shots. He’s not a huge threat to blow by guys off the dribble and is a little bit in between a 3 and 4 defensively, but he’s a committed defender.

I’ve expected Montonati to take a visit to BYU, but I’ll be monitoring if Dean’s commitment and BYU’s pursuit of other guys on this list changes anything for Jalen.