Gonzaga lands surprise commitment from German combo guard Jack Kayil

Gonzaga picked up its first commitment in the 2026 recruiting class, albeit not from anyone the Zags have been publicly linked to over the last few months.

Jack Kayil, a 6-foot-5 combo guard who starred for Germany’s silver medal-winning FIBA U-19 World Cup team this summer, committed to Mark Few and the Zags on Wednesday morning, according to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com.

The 19-year-old guard most recently played for KK Mega Basket of Serbia’s ABA League and plans to suit up for Alba Berlin of Germany’s Bundesliga this fall. Kayil, one of the top international guards pursuing the college route, is keeping his options open and could still enter the 2026 NBA Draft, according to Givony.

Kayil thrived as an off-ball guard this summer at the U-19 World Cup, compiling 11.1 points per game, 6.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds for a German team that went 6-0 in the group phase and elimination stages before losing in a gold medal game to a United States team coached by former Gonzaga assistant Tommy Lloyd.

In seven games, Kayil made 35% of his shots from the field, 31% from the 3-point line and 81% from the free throw line. He also averaged 1.0 steals per game. Kayil scored 13 points and registered five assists in the gold-medal game, facing an American team that featured top recruits AJ Dybantsa, Mikel Brown Jr. and Tyran Stokes.

According to 247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein, Kayil, who didn’t have any other reported offers from college programs, is expected to be more of a primary playmaker in his first season with Alba Berlin.

“Kayil combines good backcourt size, strength, skill level, and feel for the game,” Finkelstein wrote in a scouting report about Kayil. “He measures in at over 6-foot-5 with shoes on and has built up his body with noticeable muscle mass. He lacks great length or true explosiveness, but he’s versatile in offensive structure because he’s a confident shooter and has on/off ball versatility.

“He’s a high-volume shooter from behind the arc who has clean mechanics and deep range both off the catch and the dribble.”

During the 2024-25 season with Mega Basket, Kayil averaged 7.7 ppg, 2.2 apg and 2.2 rpg while averaging 26.2 minutes over 18 games. He shot 35% from the 3-point line and 88% from the free throw line while also recording 1.4 steals.

Kayil will be 20 years old by the time he arrives at Gonzaga next fall, so it is unclear if he will have the traditional four years of eligibility at the college level. He will play on an Alba Berlin team this fall with multiple college standouts: Former Houston big man J’Wan Roberts, who had 18 points in an NCAA Tournament win over Gonzaga last season and former Portland/Washington forward Moses Wood.

The Zags are pursuing other prospects in the 2026 recruiting class including center Sam Funches, who is scheduled to visit campus this weekend for Kraziness in the Kennel, along with wings Cameron Holmes and Anthony Felesi. Both Holmes and Felesi have official visits scheduled in the coming months.