The Fighting Irish are making moves with their 2026 class after announcing the additions of two new players this week, with head coach Micah Shrewsberry keen to get to workMicah ShrewsberryNotre Dame men’s basketball head coach Micah Shrewsberry has been quick to add to his 2026 class

Notre Dame continues to bring an eye-catching class to South Bend after the Fighting Irish secured the services of 7-foot center for its 2026 class.

Head coach Micah Shrewsberry is hoping for major improvements in the upcoming 2025-26 college basketball campaign after his side ended the most recent season with a disappointing 15–18 (8–12 ACC) overall record, despite opening the year with four straight wins.

In February, following a 12th loss of the season in which his side fell 75-60 to Louisville, Shrewsberry ended up slamming a mic in anger during his post-match press conference. The appointment of former NBA player Pat Garrity as the general manager of both Notre Dame’s men’s and women’s teams should help to improve things moving forward.

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But while attention has naturally turned to the season ahead, one eye also remains on the future, and that has shown this week after it was revealed that Gan-Erdene Solongo has announced his verbal commitment to the Irish.

The 7-foot center, who is originally from Mongolia and believed to be the tallest person from the country, turned down offers from the likes of Indiana, Illinois, Ohio State, Butler, and Xavier in favor of joining Shrewsberry’s side.

On3 currently rates Solongo as a four-star recruit and ranks him as the No. 15 center and No. 99 overall in the 2026 class. As a junior, he averaged 12.3 points, 10.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game as a junior at Ensworth School in Nashville, Tennessee.

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For his senior season, however, he will play at the nationally renowned La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, alongside new director of men’s basketball strength and conditioning Jon Sanderson’s son, four-star point guard Jonathan Sanderson, who was the 2024-25 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year for boys basketball.

In fact, the pair will be linking up again next season after it was also confirmed that Sanderson Jr. has committed to Notre Dame over Michigan State for the 2026 season, marking the first recruiting loss of the cycle for the latter.

The 6-foot-2 point guard, who ranks as a 4-star prospect and in the low-50s nationally on every recruiting site, started his high school basketball career for Saline (MI) the past two seasons, but will now be joining La Porte La Lumiere alongside Solongo.

Getting to know one another shouldn’t be an issue for the pair, given that they have been living together since 2023. Sanderson Sanderson and his wife, Jenn, became Solongo’s legal guardians after he came to the U.S. for the 2022-23 season.

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The Mongolian had signed with The Flyght Academy in Dayton, Ohio, yet needed a place to live in order to stay stateside, which is where the Sanderson’s jumped in. Solongo eventually joined the family in Michigan for his sophomore year at Saline (Mich.) High.

As for Notre Dame’s 2025 class, which includes four recruits, things are looking good, despite not receiving any verbal commitments until last September. With this in mind, coach Shrewsberry has been working extra hard to fill up the 2026 class.

The Fighting Irish’s projected 2025-26 roster consists of 13 players and only two have expiring eligibility: forwards Kebba Njie and Carson Towt, with the latter being a transfer from Northern Arizona. The roster limit for men’s basketball will be 15 players following the recent implementation of the House vs. NCAA settlement.