South Carolina just added Jordan Lee, Oliviyah Edwards, and got Ashlyn Watkins back for the 2026-27 season. The ink is barely dry — and Dawn Staley is already hunting her next championship roster. With Chloe Kitts, Ashlyn Watkins, and sharpshooter Tessa Johnson all departing after next season, the clock is ticking. What Staley does on the 2027 recruiting trail may very well determine whether South Carolina’s dynasty continues — or stalls.
Here’s a deep dive into every prospect Staley is pursuing ahead of the critical summer visit period.
The Crown Jewel: Kaleena Smith (No. 1, PG, California)
If there is one name that defines this entire recruiting cycle, it’s Kaleena Smith. The No. 1 recruit in the entire 2027 class, the 5-6 point guard from Ontario Christian High School in California is a generational prospect — averaging a jaw-dropping 32.1 points, 7 assists, 4.6 steals, and 3.6 rebounds as a junior before being named California’s Gatorade Player of the Year.
The relationship between Smith and South Carolina appears genuine and deep. Staley personally attended one of Smith’s high school games in California before the Gamecocks faced UCLA in November 2024. She’s watched her play AAU multiple times. And in a moment that felt like more than coincidence, Smith was in the building in Baton Rouge on February 14 when South Carolina beat LSU — the same school that had hosted her on a visit just weeks earlier. Smith has also taken unofficial visits to Tennessee, UCLA, Arizona State, Southern Cal, and official visits to Cal and Syracuse, meaning the competition for her signature will be fierce. But Staley’s consistent presence in her life is impossible to ignore.
Landing Smith would be transformational — replacing the scoring punch lost when Tessa Johnson departs with arguably the best guard in the country.
The Big Body Staley Needs: Ivanna Wilson Manyacka (No. 2, Wing/SF, Maryland)
With Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins both departing, South Carolina will have a glaring void at the forward position. Enter Ivanna Wilson Manyacka — a 6-foot-2 wing from The Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, ranked No. 2 nationally in the 2027 class.
The numbers are breathtaking: 21.2 points, 11.5 rebounds, and 3.4 steals per game her junior season, earning her Maryland’s MaxPreps High School Girls Basketball Player of the Year honors. Staley has been relentless in her pursuit — attending the prestigious Hoophall Classic in Massachusetts in January and traveling to a tournament in Pennsylvania in April specifically to watch her play. South Carolina extended an offer as far back as August 2024. This is a recruitment the Gamecocks appear to be taking extremely seriously — and rightfully so.
The Point Guard Depth: Jezelle “GG” Banks (No. 5, PG, Delaware)
GG Banks is one of the more intriguing long-term targets in this class. The 5-10 five-star point guard from Wilmington, Delaware, has had a relationship with South Carolina dating back to July 2023, when she first received an offer from the program. As of July 2025, she remained interested in the Gamecocks — a promising sign given the length of the courtship.
After winning the 2024-25 Gatorade Delaware Player of the Year award as a sophomore, averaging 21.7 points and 4.8 assists, Banks is a proven elite-level playmaker. Her continued interest in South Carolina, nearly two years after receiving an offer, suggests genuine program affinity — the kind of connection Staley has long been skilled at cultivating.
The All-Around Threat: Jordyn Palmer (No. 7, Wing, Pennsylvania)
Jordyn Palmer may be the most complete prospect on this list. The 6-1 five-star wing from Westtown School in Oxford, Pennsylvania, is this year’s Gatorade Pennsylvania Girls Basketball Player of the Year — producing a staggering 23.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 3.3 steals per game as a junior. That stat line belongs in a video game, not a high school box score.
Staley personally watched Palmer — alongside Wilson Manyacka — at the Hoophall Classic, and as of July 2025, Palmer still had South Carolina among her top interests. Her versatility and rebounding profile make her one of the most coveted forwards in the class, and exactly the kind of player who could step in and immediately fill the Kitts-Watkins void.
The Supporting Cast: A Deep Pool of Five-Star Talent
What makes South Carolina’s 2027 board particularly impressive is the sheer depth of elite targets beyond the headliners.
Micah Ojo (No. 8, Wing, Virginia) — A 6-1 five-star from Princess Anne High School, Virginia’s Gatorade POY, received her South Carolina offer in May 2025. At 16.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, she projects as a high-level two-way wing.
Sydney Savoury (No. 9, Guard, Michigan) — A 5-11 five-star averaging 27 points per game for Belleville High School. South Carolina offered her last July. If Smith doesn’t land in Columbia, Savoury is the kind of scoring guard who could fill that void.
Avery Arije (No. 16, Wing, Toronto) — Perhaps one of the more fascinating names on the board, the 6-foot wing from Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto has South Carolina in her top six alongside UCLA, UConn, Southern Cal, Texas, and Tennessee. Notably, current Gamecock guard Agot Makeer is from the same school — a built-in connection that Staley’s staff can leverage during the recruiting process.
Zaniya Johnson (No. 14, Forward, Mississippi) — A 6-4 five-star from Biloxi, Mississippi, who received a South Carolina offer last August. Her size and shot-blocking ability make her a legitimate frontcourt target.
Taylor “Tay” Brown (No. 20, Guard, New Jersey) — A four-star guard who posted on May 21 that she holds a South Carolina offer. Brown scored 20 points with 8 assists against current Gamecocks signee Jerzy Robinson at the Hoophall Classic before suffering a season-ending injury in February.
Sydney Mobley (No. 22, Forward, Ohio) — Had South Carolina in her top 12 as recently as October, averaging 20.2 points and 9.7 rebounds for Big Walnut High School and earning Ohio’s Gatorade POY honors.
The Big Picture: Why This Class Is Make-or-Break
Dawn Staley has built one of the most dominant programs in the history of women’s college basketball. But sustaining a dynasty requires constant reinvestment — and the 2027 class represents one of the most important recruiting cycles of her tenure.
Losing Kitts, Watkins, and Johnson in the same offseason is a significant talent drain. The program’s ability to replace that production hinges almost entirely on what happens on the recruiting trail between now and early fall, when many of these prospects are expected to make their decisions.
With official visits expected to ramp up throughout the summer, South Carolina will have its opportunities to close. The Gamecocks have a compelling pitch — a Nike deal, a Final Four pedigree, an A’ja Wilson legacy, and a coach who remains the gold standard in the sport.
The 2027 class won’t build itself. But if anyone can land a top-five haul from this group, it’s Dawn Staley — and she’s already well into the work.
