3 biggest needs for Gonzaga in the transfer portal this offseason

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs saw their season come to a surprise early end in the Round of 32 on Saturday after suffering a heartbreaking 74-68 loss to the Texas Longhorns.

It ends the collegiate careers of Graham Ike, Jalen Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, Adam Miller, and Noah Haaland, and creates massive holes in GU's roster as they head into the new look Pac-12 in 2026-27.

They aren't the only players who could be gone from the team, as a battle with the NCAA likely awaits senior Steele Venters, who should have an additional year of eligibility after multiple injuries - but who is well past the NCAA's five-year window to complete his four years. It could result in him getting denied a chance to play one more year, and it may not be a headache Gonzaga wants to deal with after the Tyon Grant-Foster saga last offseason.

Plus, there are a handful of players on this roster who could enter the transfer portal and look for greener pastures elsewhere, making this a transformative offseason for Few and the Zags.

With all the changes afoot - including a dynamic three-man recruiting class coming to Spokane - Gonzaga has a long to-do list heading into the Spring. That includes shoring up key areas on the roster, while working to retain the talent they already have - including young, burgeoning stars in Davis Fogle and Mario Saint-Supery.

Below is a look at Gonzaga's incoming class, current depth chart, and three biggest team needs as the offseason gets underway:

2026 recruiting class

Luca Foster, Jack Kayil, Sam Funches

Gonzaga's three-man recruiting class is ranked among the best in college basketball, with one player at each key position group.

Foster is No. 39 in 247Sports' class ranking, scouted as an elite shooter and naturally gifted scorer who stands 6'5 with a 6'9 wingspan. He has plenty of room to grow, but adds more scoring and desperately needed shooting to a wing rotation that is undergoing a lot of changes in Spokane.

Gonzaga recruit Luca Foster watches the Bulldogs’ game against Northwest at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | Photo by Erik Smith

Kayil is a 20-year-old 6'5 combo guard from Germany, currently playing for Alba Berlin alongside 25-30-year-old teammates, which will only help him prepare for life in college basketball. He adds some size and downhill scoring to a guard room that could really use it.

Funches is a lanky 7'0 big man with a 7'5 wingspan, who won Mr. Basketball in the state of Mississippi. He's quite raw, but has potential as a rim protector and low-post scorer who has shown flashes of strong outside shooting as well.

Depth chart

Bigs (4): Braden Huff, Ismaila Diagne, Parker Jefferson, Sam Funches

Huff will be the star for Gonzaga in the frontcourt, a 20+ point per game scorer who can play both the four and the five, is great on the offensive glass, and has proven capable of stretching the defense out to the three-point line.

Beyond Huff, the depth thins out significantly, with Diagne the only player with on-court experience - and he still looks incredibly raw after two years in the system. It's a near lock that the Zags will pursue more frontcourt additions in the transfer portal, while Jefferson and Funches develop more behind the scenes.

Wings (3): Emmanuel Innocenti, Davis Fogle, Luca Foster

Gonzaga's depth on the wing is quite thin as well, with the losses of Warley, Grant-Foster, and likely Venters as well. Innocenti is rock solid as a wing defender, while Fogle is expected to take a huge leap in year two. Foster could be a key player as a freshman, but it's unlikely Few will want to toss a big role his way right out of the gate.

Guards (3): Mario Saint-Supery, Braeden Smith, Jack Kayil

Saint-Supery and Smith shared point guard duties last year, with Mario grabbing a bigger piece of the pie late in the season. Expect the sophomore to be the go-to guy next year, with Smith and Kayil filling in behind and around him in the backcourt.

Here are the team's biggest needs as they prepare to go portal shopping this Spring:

1. Outside shooting

Both Saint-Supery and Smith are pure point guards, while Kayil can play both roles - but may need some time to adjust to college hoops. As such, the Zags should pursue a veteran off-ball guard - and one who can really shoot it.

Gonzaga shot 33.3% from three last year as a team - the worst in the Few era - and it was a massive issue all season long, including in the loss to Texas, where they shot a miserable 4-16.

Effectively, the Zags will look for a replacement for Adam Miller - or at least the version of Miller that shot 43% from three at Arizona State - which would be a huge addition to next year's group.

2. Rim protection

Gonzaga really needs a starting big man to play alongside Huff. None of the other bigs on the roster have enough experience to step into that role right away, especially after seeing Diagne struggle with his opportunities in 2025-26.

Huff can play the four or the five, which gives the Zags more options to pursue in the portal, but finding someone who can roll to the rim and block shots should be the biggest priority, as that combo of skills would complement Huff nicely.

Gonzaga Bulldogs forward Braden Huff (34). | Photo by Myk Crawford

A veteran center with strong rebounding and shot blocking numbers would do wonders for this Gonzaga frontcourt in 2026-27.

3. Wing depth

Depending on whether Gonzaga can find a veteran guard who can really shoot it or not, this addition can go a handful of different ways. Fogle and Innocenti could not be more different as players, while Foster is hard to project into a consistent role right away as of now.

Foster playing right away could obviously happen - it did with Fogle - but more depth on the wing feels crucial regardless, especially after losing Warley, Grant-Foster, Miller, and potentially Venters.

Gonzaga could potentially use more floor spacing here, as well as a strong wing defender to complement Innocenti. Considering the last two additions were veteran bucket getters and foul merchants in Khalif Battle and Grant-Foster, a player similar to that might be what Few and the staff are targeting this Spring.