Golden Grahams: Who is Notre Dame men’s basketball recruiting in 2026 class?
The 2024-25 campaign has not been successful Notre Dame men’s basketball on the court. It was, however, a successful cycle on the recruiting trail. And in the 2026 class, the Irish are looking to make several more top-100 splashes.
Blue & Gold checked in with a program source about the top targets for Notre Dame’s 2026 recruiting class. Listed in order of On3 Industry Ranking, here are seven names to know.
Disclaimer: This is almost certainly a non-comprehensive list. Two of Notre Dame’s four 2025 commitments did not have an offer at this time last year. We’ll know much more after the Irish continue to evaluate throughout the spring and summer.
Berlin Center (Ohio) Western Reserve SF Anthony Thompson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 15 player, No. 6 SF
Height: 6-foot-8
Top competition: Kentucky, Indiana, Xavier
What to know: Thompson is On3’s No. 6 player in the country, and his recruitment is hotly contested. He told On3’s Jamie Shaw that he models his playing style after Kevin Durant and Jayson Tatum, the latter of whom played for Shrewsberry with the Boston Celtics. As of Feb. 5, he averaged 20.5 points per game as a junior on 44.4 percent three-point shooting.
Goodyear (Ari.) Millenium SF Cameron Holmes
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 16 player, No. 7 SF
Height: 6-foot-6
Top competition: Georgetown, Arizona, North Carolina
What to know: Holmes told On3’s Joe Tipton that Georgetown will receive his first visit and in-state Arizona is a strong presence. He’s a left-handed shot, like Brady Koehler in the 2025 class. Tipton described him as a “confident shooter” with “good positional size.” Shaw wrote that he has an “excellent feel for the game” and “defends well on and off the ball.” He’s a top all-around talent.
San Antonio TMI Episcopal SF Elijah Williams
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 29 player, No. 12 SF
Height: 6-foot-6
Top competition: Texas, Arizona State, Arizona
What to know: Williams is a Notre Dame legacy; he’s the son of former NBA head coach Monty Williams. He told Tipton that Notre Dame is one of the seven schools he’s hearing from the most, but he visited Texas in January. Williams is another wing with good size and shooting ability, which the Irish seem to be targeting a good amount in this class.
Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth PG Jonathan Sanderson
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 50 player, No. 7 PG
Height: 6-foot-2
Top competition: Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana
What to know: Sanderson unofficially visited Notre Dame in January, and it was not his first time in South Bend. He’s been to a football game before, too. He’s an Ohio State legacy; his dad, Jon Sanderson, played for the Buckeyes — he was the starting small forward on the 1999 OSU team that went to the Final Four — and and is currently the director of men’s basketball performance at Vanderbilt. The multiple visits indicate Notre Dame has a good shot here, but
South Bend Washington PG Steven Reynolds III
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 69 player, No. 11 PG
Height: 6-foot-4
Top competition: Michigan State, Purdue, Indiana
What to know: Reynolds lives in Notre Dame’s backyard, and he played at the program’s Team Camp this past summer. He has ideal size and length for the point guard position, and he’ll shoot the basketball from anywhere on the court. Purdue might be tough to beat here because of family connections — both his sisters play for the Boilermakers’ women’s basketball team — but keeping Reynolds in northern Indiana should be a priority for the Irish.
Windemere (Fla.) Prep CG Brandon Bass Jr.
On3 Industry Ranking: No. 59 player, No. 2 CG
Height: 6-foot-3
Top competition: LSU, UCF, Purdue
What to know: Bass has not reported a Notre Dame offer, but I’m told he’s a recruit of interest for the Irish. He’s an LSU legacy; his dad won SEC Player of the Year in 2005 and parlayed that into a 12-year NBA career. Shaw has described Bass as a player with “confident scoring chops,” with a quick release and the capability to create his own shot.
Nashville (Tenn.) Ensworth C Gan-Erdene Solongo
On3 Industry Ranking: N/A (On3 ranks him as the No. 136 player, No. 20 C)
Height: 7-foot
Top competition: Ohio State, Xavier, Indiana
What to know: Cool story here: Solongo, an immigrant from Mongolia, is not just Sanderson’s high school teammate. He actually became Sanderson’s adoptive brother after his parents took him in following a stint as AAU teammates in Michigan while Solongo lived on his own. According to The Tennessean, he learned basketball just three years ago and 2024-25 is his first season of high school basketball ever (which explains the lack of a ranking by everyone but On3). He’s averaging 12.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 1.2 blocks this season while shooting 67 percent from the field.
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