BYU just added their fourth commitment to its 2026 class, but it’s not another transfer player or a five-star high school recruit. As per Joe Tipton, it’s 22-year-old Egyptian big man Abdullah Ahmed, who announced his commitment to the program on Tuesday. Ahmed has spent the last two seasons playing for the Westchester Knicks in the NBA G-League and will now be playing NCAA basketball. This is quite odd for most fans, but well within the NCAA’s new rules.
BREAKING: G League center Abdullah Ahmed has committed to BYU, he tells @Rivals.
The 22-year-old has been cleared by the NCAA and is expected to have between two and three years of eligibility remaining. Chose Kevin Young and Co. over Houston. https://t.co/7chyqbCVuu pic.twitter.com/8QCfDmZPLj
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) November 11, 2025
Ahmed averaged 4 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks playing 18 minutes per game in the G-League. His profile fits to be a rim-protector and is expected to replace Keba Keita as the starting center for BYU in the following season. Ahmed is expected to enroll mid-year in late December for the Winter Semester and redshirt the rest of the season.
This move has come into fruition after Nate Pickens’ season-ending injury, which opened an extra spot in BYU’s roster. NCAA rules allow colleges to elect to have that injured player not counted against the roster limit, which facilitates Ahmed’s enrollment in the program. Now, the young Egyptian center can also earn an additional season of revenue share and NIL money.
NCAA’s new rules have now allowed players from the G-League to play college hoops. Even Santa Clara and Louisville have received commitments from G-League players eligible under the NCAA to play in college. This is akin to how some pro EuroLeague players, such as Mihalio Boskovic, are now playing college hoops. If the player is within the five-year eligibility window, the NCAA may deem them eligible.
While this is another strategic decision for BYU, some fans are split about this move. On X, one fan wrote,
“This is so stupid, this is the type of stuff im over. I like we can pay the guys but why are we allowing a pro to play in college. The sport needs to fix stuff like this, now I understand why historic coaches were leaving because they say the vision of stuff to come.”
Another fan added,
Can’t blame Kevin Young and BYU for taking advantage of a broken system
Adapt or fall behind
This fan said,
“Lol. Can’t blame byu for cheating when it’s technically not cheating.
Why not get a 30 year old pro from the Euro leagues?”
Another fan added,
“I don’t see how signing former G-Leaguers (assuming no NBA experience) is any different than signing former euro leaguers 🤷🏼♂️”
One fan wrote,
“No one should be under the illusion that in this NIL era that college sports are not professional. Of course they are. They are being paid (regardless of how you try to sale it)–it is a professional sport. I don’t see how it can’t negatively impact high school players.”
AJ Dybantsa Says Committing to BYU Was a ‘No Brainer’
AJ Dybantsa was the number one player in the 2026 class by ESPN following his freshman season at high school. One of his first offers from an NCAA Division I college came from Boston College. Then followed offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Baylor, BYU, UConn, Duke, USC, and many other top D1 programs.
After reclassifying to the 2025 class in 2023, Dybantsa announced in 2024 that he would be committing to BYU. He took this decision as he wanted to solely focus on basketball without the chatter off the court. Dybantsa’s move made him the highest-ranked committed recruit to join BYU in program history.
In a recent interview with NBC Sports, Dybantsa admitted that his decision was very much influenced by Kevin Young coaching the BYU team. Explaining how important Young’s role was in his recruiting process, the 18-year-old said,
“It was everything. Obviously just him [Kevin young] coming from the NBA, being an assistant coach, being coaches of my favorite players, it was kind of like a no brainer for me.”
Young has served as an assistant coach for the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns and was most recently the associate head coach for the Suns until 2024. Obviously, Young’s league experience in coaching stars such as Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant was definitely a factor for AJ Dybantsa to choose BYU over every other program.
Read More:
2026 NBA Mock Draft: Full 2-Round Breakdown Ft. Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa
AJ Dybantsa Drops Behind Darryn Peterson and PJ Haggerty in EA Sports Game Prediction Draft
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