Tennessee State men’s basketball announced on April 30 the addition of guards Isaiah Stewart and Leyton McGovern to its 2026 signing class. Head coach Nolan Smith welcomed both players as the first new recruits for the upcoming season.
The announcement comes as Tennessee State aims to maintain momentum after returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 32 years. The program is looking to strengthen its roster with a mix of junior college talent and Division I experience, aiming for another Ohio Valley Conference championship run.
Isaiah Stewart joins Tennessee State from Northern Illinois, where he played in 13 games during the 2025–26 season. He shot 50 percent from the field and made 40 percent of his three-point attempts. Stewart’s notable performances included scoring five points against East-West University, adding six rebounds and two assists, as well as making three-pointers against Lindenwood and Akron. Before Northern Illinois, he played at Big Tyme Prep, averaging over eleven points per game across thirty-three appearances during the previous season.
Leyton McGovern arrives after playing at Compton College and College of the Sequoias. At Compton College, he averaged nearly seventeen points per game over seventeen contests, with several high-scoring performances including a season-high thirty-three points against West Valley. He was ranked number ninety-four on the JUCO Top 100 player list nationally. During his time at College of the Sequoias in the prior year, McGovern averaged almost fourteen points per game across twenty-seven games.
Stewart and McGovern are expected to add depth and versatility to Tennessee State’s backcourt under Smith’s leadership.
