Four-star 2026 prospect Dean Rueckert chooses BYU: ‘He’s a high character kid’
By SAM LANCE
BYU has landed class of 2026 four-star prospect Dean Rueckert. The 6-foot-8 small forward out of Timpview (UT) and the Utah Prospects Nike EYBL AAU program made his announcement live to 247Sports.
Rueckert, the No. 68 overall prospect in the 2026 class, chose BYU over Clemson, Stanford, Utah and Washington. He becomes Kevin Young’s first pledge out of the 2026 class. He committed fresh off his official visit this past weekend and will have a chance to play hometown hero. Timpview is less than 10 minutes from the J. Willard Marriott Center.
“BYU is a special place that can help me go far not only in basketball but also in life,” Rueckert said during his announcement. “Kevin Young and the rest of the coaching staff have done a really good job of making me feel wanted and valued. I’m super excited to get there and just do my thing.”
The four-star is known as a do-it-all forward. For the Utah Prospects this summer, Rueckert averaged 13.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 20 contests. He shot 44.0% from the field and 49-of-135 (36.2%) from 3-point range. He’s one of the best shooters in the 2026 class and also had a 46% clip on open catch-and-shoot triples, per Synergy.
“Dean has proven himself to be a top prospect in a loaded 2026 class,” Utah Prospects coach Brady Boman told ZAGSBLOG. “He has always been an elite scorer at all three levels but has recently shown his ability to guard the perimeter at a high level. His length and athleticism will translate to the next level and beyond. Above all, he’s a high character kid that makes his teammates better and helps impact winning. His future is bright!”
Dean Rueckert at EYBL Session 1 with the Utah Prospects! @dean_rueckert @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/saYD2cn6dm
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) April 30, 2025
The Rueckert family has a history in athletics with Dean’s father, Chris, playing lacrosse at BYU and his sister, Brielle, currently playing Division I volleyball at Weber State. Aside from his talent on the floor, Rueckert spends afternoons on the golf course. He can also juggle.
“I’m excited to play in front of the best fanbase in the world,” Rueckert said. “I’m excited to be part of the community. I believe in what BYU stands for, and I’m excited to represent them.”
BYU remains in the mix for prospects like Austin Goosby, Jalen Montonati and others.
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
Follow ZAGSBLOGHoops on Instagram
The post Four-star 2026 prospect Dean Rueckert chooses BYU: ‘He’s a high character kid’ appeared first on Zagsblog.