Gonzaga announces signing of 7'0 center Sam Funches in 2026 class

Funches joined Luca Foster in signing with Gonzaga on Wednesday

Recruit Sam Funches and his family watch Gonzaga’s Kraziness in the Kennel at the McCarthey Athletic Center. | Photo by Gonzaga Bulldogs On SI

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs announced the signing of 7'0 center Sam Funches on Wednesday, giving them two additions on the first official day of the signing period for the 2026 recruiting class.

6'5 small forward Luca Foster also signed with Gonzaga on Wednesday, while 6'5 German guard Jack Kayil is not required to sign during the signing period due to his status as an international prospect.

Funches became the second of Gonzaga's three 2026 recruits when he committed back on Friday, Oct. 17 - nearly two weeks after he wrapped up his official visit in Spokane at Kraziness in the Kennel.

The 4-star big man is ranked No. 58 in the 2026 class in the 247Sports composite rankings, seventh among centers. He picked Gonzaga out of a final list that included a quartet of SE schools: Vanderbilt, LSU, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State.

Funches joins a laundry list of excellent Zags to commit after attending the team's annual scrimmage, including Braden Huff, Jalen Suggs, Julian Strawther, and Chet Holmgren.

"They just tell me how we basically fit together," Funches told Gonzaga Bulldogs on SI about assistant coaches Rjay Barsh and Brian Michaelson. "I'm a puzzle piece and they're the puzzle and it's like a perfect fit, because my play style is like the exact play style of them."

Funches boasts a 7'5 wingspan, and his length and mobility give him elite potential as a high-level shot blocker who could boost Gonzaga's frontcourt defense — which has suffered since Holmgren's departure in 2022.

While the big man is likely a longer-term project, that fits nicely with Gonzaga's timeline. Graham Ike will be out the door after the 2025-26 season, but barring any surprise departures, the Zags will have Braden Huff, Ismaila Diagne, and Parker Jefferson set to fill roles in the frontcourt in 2026-27 when the team transitions to the new look Pac-12 - and they could look to make an addition in the transfer portal as well.

Funches joined Kayil as October commitments for Gonzaga in the 2026 class, with Foster following suit about a week later, following his official visit for the team's exhibition win over Northwest. The trio ranked No. 15 in ESPN's recent rankings of the best 2026 recruiting classes.

Gonzaga's busy October didn't just include 2026 additions, however, as the staff also landed a commitment from 2027 top 30 prospect Dooney Johnson from Milwaukee, WI. It was the first 2027 commitment for coach Few's team, who also hosted 6'5 wing Gene Roebuck for the team's season-opening win over Texas Southern.