Nathan De Sousa Cleared by NCAA, Gives Gonzaga Eligible Point Guard

Although Xaivian Lee remains eligible under his temporary restraining order, the Gonzaga Bulldogs haven’t officially added him to the roster. This is also true for Javon Bennett and Chauncey Wiggins, other 5-in-5 commits whose preliminary injunctions were stayed by the NCAA and who are currently ineligible after being previously cleared.

But the Zags got positive news on international recruit 23-year-old Nathan De Sousa, who is finally eligible for the 2026-27 season three months after he initially committed to GU. De Sousa, a French native, becomes the 11th available Bulldog and the roster’s only true point guard.

Because of De Sousa’s age, his professional experience, and the NCAA’s mandate that athletes must complete five seasons within five years after their high school graduation, he will have only one year of eligibility. Still, after signing his financial aid agreement, De Sousa brings stability and a veteran presence to Gonzaga’s backcourt as a ball-handler capable of running a quality offense.

Earlier this week, French news outlet Ouest-France first reported that De Sousa was cleared to play collegiately. Gonzaga announced on social media that De Sousa officially joined the squad on Thursday. He arrived in Spokane about a month ago, but had to wait a little longer for things to be finalized. As De Sousa told Ouest-France, “I took a risk, but it paid off.”