Kevin Young has his first commitment for the class of 2026.

4-star forward and Timpview High product Dean Rueckert has committed to BYU, he announced Monday night on a CBS Sports College Basketball YouTube livestream.

“BYU is a special place that can help me go far not only in basketball, but also in life,” Rueckert said. “Kevin Young and the rest of the coaching staff have done a really good job making me feel wanted and valued, and I’m super excited to get there and do my thing.”

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Rueckert is rated as a four-star prospect by 247 Sports, ranking as the No. 4 overall recruit in Utah and No. 68 nationally. He took his official visit with the Cougars last week and quickly pledged to the program.

“Rueckert is a skilled shooter with good wing size at 6-foot-8,” wrote Adam Finkelstein of 247 Sports. “… He has supreme gravity as a spot-up floor spacer, but is also a movement shooter who can make threes off screens. His release is compact and extremely repeatable, beginning with very good balance in his lower body.”

Scouting Dean Rueckert:

▪️Shooter with wing size (6’8 in shoes)
▪️Extreme gravity (46% open C+S 3s)
▪️Deep range + movement 3s
▪️Fluid handler, crafty fakes & in lane
▪️Underrated bounce off 2 + sneaky right foot leaper pic.twitter.com/yVtXIZkEYM

— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) August 4, 2025

As a junior with the T-Birds this past season, Rueckert averaged 18.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and shot 39% from 3-point range to earn Deseret News 5A Player of the Year honors.

“Overall, his shooting, skill, and potential to flourish in offensive structure gives him an obvious niche at the next level, while his ceiling will be determined by the gains he can make with his creation, physical strength, and defensive impact,” Finkelstein wrote.

Dean is one of the best HS shooters in the country, and his offense rightfully gets a lot of attention. But he can defend too. Here’s a clip of him stuffing Tyran Stokes, the #1 recruit in the 2026 class. pic.twitter.com/c0gkDoBFT5

— Robby McCombs (@rtmccombs) August 5, 2025

Rueckert — who chose the Cougars over fellow finalists Utah, Washington, Clemson and Stanford — will join BYU’s program this coming spring and play for the team beginning in 2026-27, according to Robby McCombs of Vanquish the Foe.