Gonzaga’s roster for its first season in the new-look Pac-12 is almost locked in, and the latest piece is another international one.
Nathan De Sousa, a 23-year-old guard from France, is in, giving Mark Few another backcourt option and pushing the Bulldogs closer to a full picture for 2026-27. De Sousa joins 18-year-old Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa as the team’s French imports this offseason, and he arrives with the kind of experience Gonzaga can use right away after playing for Cholet in the Betclic Elite. Because of the NCAA’s new 5-in-5 rules, this will be his lone year of eligibility.
He also helps fill a clear need. Gonzaga was looking for more depth in the backcourt, and De Sousa gives the Zags a seasoned guard who should be able to settle in quickly as the primary backup to sophomore point guard Mario Saint-Supery.
The rest of the roster has taken shape around a mix of transfers, freshmen and international talent. The newcomers include Massamba Diop from Arizona State, Isiah Harwell from Houston, Izan Almansa from Real Madrid, four-star freshman wing Luca Foster, four-star freshman center Sam Funches and walk-on freshman Carter Nilson.
Up front, Diop looks like the biggest swing Gonzaga made. The Bulldogs had to fight through a multi-week recruiting battle with St.
John’s to land him, but the payoff could be huge. He arrives as the program’s most dangerous shot blocker and rim runner since Chet Holmgren left in 2022, and his game pairs well with returning senior Braden Huff.
Huff is back after a breakout junior season was interrupted midway through by a season-ending knee injury. Before that setback, he was putting up 17.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and he should be asked to carry even more of the offense in his fifth year in Spokane. That kind of role could put him in All-American territory.
Harwell is another name that suddenly looks more important than it did a few weeks ago. He was a steady bench piece for Houston as a freshman in 2025-26 and initially looked like a similar reserve fit for Gonzaga after transferring in April.
But German guard Jack Kayil’s decision to remain in the NBA draft process opened the door for Harwell, a 6-foot-6 wing from Idaho, to move into the starting five. His length and athleticism should play on both ends.
Saint-Supery is part of what should be a very young starting group. He’s one of four sophomores expected to start, but Gonzaga isn’t treating him like a typical young guard.
The Spaniard already has experience against older competition, and after arriving in the second half of last season, he’s one of the most intriguing high-upside guards the Bulldogs have had in years. He looks ready to make a national name for himself.
The bench has its own layers. De Sousa profiles as Gonzaga’s top guard reserve and the main backup at point guard.
Almansa is the first big off the bench, bringing international seasoning of his own after time with the G League Ignite, plus professional stops in Spain and Australia. At 21, he offers toughness, physicality and rebounding behind Diop and Huff.
Jefferson, a late roster addition last year, redshirted in 2025-26 and now will try to earn a role as the fourth big. How much he improved while sitting out could matter a lot.
Fogle, meanwhile, is the kind of sophomore who can change the tone of a rotation. He started last season outside the main mix, then kept forcing his way onto the floor.
At 6-foot-7, he has real scoring punch and could become one of the breakout sophomores in the country.
There are also a few longer-view pieces. Foster’s scoring ability and outside shooting make him a possible early contributor, especially since Gonzaga needs more perimeter shooting.
Ekanga-Ehawa is still a raw 18-year-old from JL Bourg, but the upside is obvious. Funches, a 7-footer with shot-blocking tools, is more likely to be a redshirt candidate for now, though his future value is clear.
Nilson rounds out the current group of newcomers. He’s the son of 1999-2000 WCC Defensive Player of the Year Mike Nilson, brings 6-foot-5 size, and has local experience from Gonzaga Prep.
Gonzaga has filled 13 of its 15 roster spots, leaving room for two more additions. The Bulldogs could still use another scorer and more shooting off the bench, and an experienced transfer guard would make sense given that no projected reserve has played a single minute of Division I basketball. Names such as Weber State’s Tijan Saine, Indiana State’s Camp Wagner and Montana’s Grant Kepley remain logical fits.
The final spot is expected to go to a walk-on-type player, likely joining Metz and Nilson at the end of the bench as Gonzaga settles into its Pac-12 transition.