Notre Dame’s recent addition to the team, Gan-Erdene Solongo, is one for the record books
and for teams in the ACC to watch.
The Fighting Irish Add Tallest Mongolian Ever To Their 2026 Recruiting Class
The Notre Dame men’s basketball team is causing a stir with the latest commitment to their 2026 class, Solongo. The seven-footer originally hails from Mongolia (he’s also part-Irish) and is regarded as the tallest person ever from the central Asian nation.
In an interview with On3 Sports, Solongo expressed his excitement to play for Notre Dame:
“I’m honored to represent Notre Dame as a Mongolian-Irish player — and to become the second Irish citizen ever to play here, after Ron Rowan. I’m ready to bring passion, power, and pride to the court. Let’s make history together.”
NEWS: 4⭐️ Gan-Erdene Solongo has committed to Notre Dame, he tells @On3Recruits.
The 7’0”, 270-pound center is ranked as the No. 99 overall recruit in the 2026 class, per On3.
Solongo is believed to be the tallest living person from Mongolia.https://t.co/Ntqeo6km37 pic.twitter.com/UOLwGw7Olk
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) June 9, 2025
Solongo has only been playing basketball for three and a half years, first arrived in the United States when he was 15 to play on a travel visa at The Flyght Academy in Dayton, Ohio.
He was connected to Jon Sanderson, a former member of the Ohio State Final Four team from 1999, who was the strength coach for the men’s team at Vanderbilt University. Sanderson and his wife, Jenn, agreed along with Solongo’s mother in Mongolia to become his legal guardians in 2023.
The recruit joins the team with his adoptive brother, point guard Jonathan Sanderson. Solongo had been gaining attention for his basketball potential since he was 14, already standing at 6”11. In a profile for the Nashville Tennesseean, it was noted that his high school games have been uploaded to YouTube, and many see him as the future of basketball in Mongolia.
KEEP READING: Top 10 Men’s Basketball Recruits in the Class of 2025 and Their College Commitments
Notre Dame is definitely interested in seeing Solongo take the hardcourt for the team. He joins a 2026 class already regarded as among the top ten in the nation. For head coach Micah Shrewsberry, the 2026 season may see his squad rise to the occasion to make a Final Four run with this new addition.
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