San Diego State basketball's top recruiting target recaps his official visit

Josh Irving spoke about the official visit to San Diego State he took in August

San Diego State Aztecs head coach Brian Dutcher. | James Snook-Imagn Images

The San Diego State Aztecs are all in on 2026 4-star Josh Irving, a 6'11 center from Pasadena who the team hosted on an official visit back in August.

Irving is the No. 63-ranked player in the 2026 class according to 247Sports, coming in at No. 5 among centers. He recently included SDSU among his top seven finalists, alongside Louisville, Kentucky, Kansas, Texas A&M, USC, and SMU.

Irving's first official visit was to San Diego State on Aug. 21, and he has since visited SMU, Kansas, and, most recently, Louisville, with visits scheduled at Texas A&M on Sep. 27, Kentucky on Oct. 10, and USC on Oct. 17.

Irving spoke with Brandon Jenkins of 247Sports about his visits so far, saying things 'went well' on his visit to sunny San Diego last month.

"We didn't get to see a practice, but we toured the school and talked with the staff about how everything works," Irving said. "The weather was perfect. I got to meet the team, and Aztec fans were everywhere we went. I met former players too. They have a really dedicated fanbase, and that's always a positive."

San Diego State would love to keep Irving in California to bolster the roster as the team transitions into the Pac-12 in 2026-27. The big man is young for his age, not turning 18 until May of his senior year, and possesses a ton of upside due to his length, athleticism, mobility, soft hands, and strong touch around the rim.

Josh Irving, the No. 63 overall recruit in the national 2026 class, has completed official visits to Kansas, Louisville, San Diego State, and SMU in the past month.

He broke down his thoughts on each school with @247Sports.

𝐕𝐈𝐏 https://t.co/CngzhaBRus pic.twitter.com/jDryHpwwey

— Brandon Jenkins (@BJenkins247) September 22, 2025

Irving is still quite raw and will need to get stronger in order to finish through contact at the Division 1 level, but few programs have succeeded at developing lanky, rim-protecting bigs like the Aztecs. Magoon Gwath, who starred for this team last year as a freshman, is one of many examples of elite defensive bigs who have come through coach Dutcher's system, a list that also includes Nathan Mensah and Jalen McDaniels.

The allure of Kentucky, Louisville, and Kansas is no doubt a challenge for the Aztecs to overcome, but if the staff can convince Irving that San Diego is the best place for him developmentally, it could be a huge coup for them on the recruiting trail.

San Diego State has just one player committed so far in the 2026 class in small forward Zach White, but the staff has offers out on five other prospects: Josiah Johnson, Elias Obenyah, Jaxon Richardson, Lattimore Ford, and Brandon McCoy.