NEWARK, NJ – NJIT men's basketball head coach Grant Billmeier has announced his 2026 recruiting class. Six newcomers will take the floor for the Highlanders this upcoming season, comprising of four transfers and a pair of freshman. Matheo Coffi, Brendan Oliver, Brandon Stores Jr. and Mario Tatum Jr. transfer into the program, while Jayonni Durrough and Victor Vanderstraeten round out the class as the freshman.

"We're very excited about our 2026 spring recruiting class. This is a very talented group that will represent our program and the Highlander brand well on the court, in the classroom and in the community," Billmeier said. "We added talented student-athletes that are coming to NJIT to achieve great team success."

Coffi transfers into the program from UTSA after appearing in 30 games last season, making 21 starts. The Strasbourg, France native averaged 3.8 points per game, 4.8 rebounds per game and shot 50% from the field. The incoming sophomore scored a career-high 12 points against Rice. 

"Matheo has an incredible amount of potential and we can't wait to get to work with him to maximize his talent. Matheo played in a very good league last year and made big strides as the season went on. Matheo can play multiple positions on the court and has been effective wherever he has played. He is very skilled in a lot of different areas and will help us build on the success we had last year."

Oliver returns close to home as a West Orange, New Jersey native transferring in from Canisius. The incoming sophomore played in 30 games with two starts, while averaging 3.5 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. The forward recorded a career-high 15 points in his first career start against Saint Peter's.

"Being from West Orange, our staff has watched Brendan play a lot over the years, and as soon as he went in the portal it became a priority for us to bring him home. He played for an elite high school coach in Joe Mantegna at Blair, and is a terrific offensive player. We're equally excited about his potential on the defensive end with his length and athleticism."

Stores Jr. arrives in Newark after spending last season at Georgia Tech. A native of the Bronx, New York, he was a highly regarded four-star big guard/small forward prospect according to the 247Sports Composite, ranking as the sixth-best player in New York. During an outstanding four-year career at St. Raymond High School for Boys, Stores Jr. became the program's all-time leading scorer with more than 2,000 career points while earning four years as a starter.

"We're thrilled to bring Brandon back home after spending last season at Georgia Tech. We have been watching Brandon play for a long time, and we know that he has the ability to be a great player for this program. We're excited for him to show what he can do."

Tatum Jr. is the final transfer coming from VMI playing in 31 games, starting in eight. The incoming sophomore from Edgewood, Maryland averaged 8.5 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game while recording 42 assists and 21 steals on the season. The guard also opened the year with a career-high 23-point performance against Johnson & Wales.

"Mario is a physical guard that can play either guard spot. He proved that he had the ability to both score and make his teammates better while playing in the SoCon. Mario will be a great two-way player for us on both ends of the court this season."

Durrough is one of two incoming freshman from Las Vegas, Nevada. The 6'5 guard averaged 17.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists per game and shot 45% from beyond the arc for ABC Prep last season.

"Jayonni is a winner. He can play multiple positions on the court and his passion and energy will have a direct impact on our program's success. Jayonni was a terrific two-way player in both AAU and High School. We don't often recruit in the Las Vegas area, but Jayonni has an undeniable winning DNA that we had to have in our program."

Vanderstraeten rounds out the freshman class from Belgium. The 6'7" forward has progressed through Belgium's elite youth basketball system and has already earned international experience with Belgium's U18 national team.

"Victor is a talented forward that played against terrific competition in Europe the past few years. He brings a strong skill set with him and he will be ready to help us from day one. Despite this being his first year in college basketball, Victor is an experienced and mature player that we will rely on to be a leader this season. We knew very quickly that Victor was the right fit when he came on our radar, and we are excited to bring him stateside."

The six newcomers join NJIT's seven returnees of AJ Altobelli, Rocco Awad, David Bolden, Quentin Duncan, Stefan Jimenez-Vojnic, John Kelly and Zack Scherler. 

"I'm excited about the team that we will be putting on the floor this upcoming season. We have a strong balance of returners from last years' team that finished third in the America East last season, as well as a strong recruiting class that will bring a lot of excitement to the WEC. Our players are ready to bring an exciting brand of basketball to our fan base this season."

Season Tickets
Highlander fans can join in on the action by purchasing Men's Basketball Season Tickets for the 2026-27 season. Secure your seats today at NJITtix.com to catch the Highlanders in action for every regular season home game. Season Tickets start at just $150! 
Please call 973-596-5555 for additional information or any questions regarding tickets.

For the ultimate fan experience, a limited number of courtside seats are available for the Men's Basketball 2026-27 season. The courtside experience includes access to our private hospitality suite featuring hot food, beverages, and snacks. The hospitality suite opens one hour prior to tip-off and again during halftime.

Please email tickets@njit.edu for more details to secure your courtside seats. Availability is strictly limited and handled on a first-come, first-served basis.