Gonzaga must pursue national championship winning forward with local ties in transfer portal

Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs have had a quiet offseason so far, despite losing a total of 11 players from last year's roster.

Five players exhausted their eligibility in 2025-26 in Graham Ike, Jalen Warley, Tyon Grant-Foster, Adam Miller, and Noah Haaland, while another six (Emmanuel Innocenti, Braeden Smith, Steele Venters, Ismaila Diagne, Cade Orness, and Joaquim ArauzMoore) entered the transfer portal.

That leaves the Zags with five returners and four newcomers at the conclusion of the transfer portal window, and plenty of holes to fill on the 2026-27 roster.

While the staff's priority is clearly finding a rim protecting center to pair with Braden Huff - notably bringing Arizona State's Massamba Diop to Spokane for a visit - they have their eyes on multiple other players as they prepare for the program's first season in the new look Pac-12.

One such player who Gonzaga could make a push for is Jaylin Stewart, a 6'7 rising senior wing from Seattle who spent the past three years playing for Danny Hurley and the UConn Huskies, even winning a national championship as a freshman in 2023-24.

Stewart's fit in Spokane

Stewart's numbers don't pop off the page, as he never managed to carve out a significant role for UConn. He peaked at 17.8 minutes per game as a sophomore in 2024-25, averaging 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting an obscene 72.1% on twos and a solid 36.4% from beyond the arc.

Most felt he was in line for an even bigger role as a junior, but the arrival of star freshman Braylon Mullins and play of Jayden Ross kept Stewart from taking the leap. He still started 12 of 32 games this past year, averaging 4.2 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 34.5% (19-55) from three.

The physical wing dropped 10 points with three rebounds and two steals against Arizona in November, and had another 10 point showing on 3-5 shooting against Texas in mid-December.

Stewart would give Gonzaga a versatile defender with elite athleticism, and his veteran experience and national championship pedigree would make him a welcome addition in Spokane.

Rising sophomore Davis Fogle is projected to start at the three in 2026-27, while incoming freshman Luca Foster is in the mix there as well. But with Warley, Grant-Foster, Innocenti, and Venters all out the door, Gonzaga really needs more size, athleticism, and physical defense on the wing - all things Stewart has in spades.

Most feel Stewart is ticketed to head back home to Seattle to play for Washington, but Gonzaga would be wise to intercept him about 280 miles short and put him in the true blue and white for his final season of eligibility.

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