‘I knew right away this is where I belong.’ Three-star center Parker Jefferson commits to Mark Few, Zags on official visit
Parker Jefferson made plans to visit Gonzaga early last week and arrived in Spokane on Thursday, sharing photos from his campus tour on social media.
It didn’t take the three-star center and former Minnesota signee much longer to take the next step with Gonzaga.
Jefferson, a 6-foot-10, 230-pound three-star prospect who reopened his recruitment after the Golden Gophers made a coaching change, committed to Mark Few and the Zags on Friday morning, according to Joe Tipton of On3.com.
“When my recruitment first started, all I was hearing was ‘You’re a Gonzaga type of guy,’” Jefferson told Tipton. “Now that I finally got to get to campus and meet the staff, I knew right away this is where I belong. I look forward to seeing The Kennel rocking this year, and I’m excited to be playing under such an incredible coach in coach Few.”
The Texas native who spent last season at Inglewood (California) High School chose Gonzaga over Rutgers, another program that recently hosted Jefferson on an official visit. Prior to committing to Minnesota, Jefferson picked Minnesota over his other finalist, USC, but also had a handful of high-major offers from schools like Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, LSU, Oklahoma State, SMU, TCU, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and UCF.
The forward was released from his NLI (National Letter of Intent) after Minnesota fired Ben Johnson and hired Colorado State’s Niko Medved. Jefferson is considered a three-star prospect by On3.com and 247Sports.com, but he’s a top-150 recruit according to On3’s database as well as the website’s No. 12 center and No. 20 recruit in the state of California.
Gonzaga now has two high school signees in its 2025 recruiting class as Jefferson joins four-star wing Davis Fogle, a native of Anacortes who recently completed his senior season at Phoenix’s Compass Prep.
If Jefferson isn’t a redshirt candidate for the Zags as a freshman, he’ll presumably come in as the fourth option in a loaded frontcourt that returns All-West Coast Conference First Team forward Graham Ike and Braden Huff, who joined GU’s starting lineup for the final three games last season. Ismaila Diagne, who played sparingly off the bench last year, should be primed for a bigger role as a sophomore.
Jefferson has already drawn Drew Timme comparisons with his playing style and Texas roots. The forward grew up in the Dallas suburb of Waxahachie and attended Waxhachie High School, averaging 16.7 points and 9.5 rebounds as a junior before transferring to Inglewood High to play against better competition.
As a senior, Jefferson was named to the All-Ocean League First Team after scoring 30 points in five games, notching 17 double-doubles and recording a triple-double.
Not unlike Timme, Jefferson is crafty on the offensive end, bringing quality footwork, soft touch around the rim and exceptional passing ability for his size and position. Jefferson generally plays below the rim, but has demonstrated some 3-point shooting range – something that could separate him from Timme, at least early on in his college career.
While describing Jefferson’s game in a recent scouting report, On3’s Jamie Shaw wrote, “Jefferson has good size with a frame that projects as he continues to mature. He has good hands, very passer friendly, and can receive passes in traffic. His range extends beyond the three-point line with consistency. The athleticism will be a question, but he is still young with a September 2006 birthday. As he continues to grow, there is a skill and IQ foundation to build on.”
Jefferson comes from a basketball background with mother Carrie formerly playing at Arkansas. Older brother Michael played at Iona and sister Kaylee played at Sam Houston State. Jefferson’s father, Mike, was a former left tackle for Arkansas’ football team.
The Zags should have top-end talent and depth in the frontcourt entering the 2025-26 season, but will likely still address other spots on the floor with their six remaining scholarships and postional needs at both wing and guard.
Theo Lawson can be reached at (509) 459-5584 or theol@spokesman.com.