NAVI Jungler Rhilech named LEC 2026 rookie of the year

Natus Vincere (NAVI) jungler Enes “Rhilech” Uçan received the LEC 2026 Rookie of the Year award on Friday in Berlin, minutes before NAVI’s best-of-five elimination match against GIANTX. Riot Games presented the trophy on stage.

The 20-year-old from Turkey led the rookie vote ahead of SK Gaming AD carry Josip “Jopa” Čančar and Shifters top laner Shin “Rooster” Yun-hwan. He succeeds Karmine Corp’s Caliste “Caliste” Henry-Hennebert. Previous jungler winners include Selfmade, Elyoya, Yike and Inspired.

The announcement came before the series; NAVI later won 3-2. Earlier this year, the team finished fifth to sixth at both LEC Versus and the Spring Split.

NAVI entered the LEC last summer after acquiring Rogue’s slot. The organization signed mid laner Francisco “Thayger” Mazo for the Summer Split and bought out Uçan’s contract from BK ROG Esports, keeping him in reserve for 2026. During the offseason, Fnatic showed interest, but Uçan remained with NAVI and made his first-team debut at the LEC Versus tournament.

Across 2026, Uçan became a regular starter and the only NAVI player named to the league’s Third All-Pro Team after the Summer regular season.

In a post-match interview, Uçan called the award “just the tip of the iceberg.” He described entering the league confident in his ability despite his age. He credited discipline, trust in teammates and the coaching staff’s work, and set a goal to keep improving and compete for MVP awards.

NAVI secured Uçan ahead of 2026, kept him as a substitute, and named him starting jungler at the start of the season.

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