Can South Carolina Land GG Banks, Taylor Brown and Jordyn Palmer Trio? Here’s Our Odd
Bottom line: These percentages are my own judgment calls from the reporting, not a model or insider information. I put South Carolina at about 30% for Banks, about 25% for Palmer, and roughly 10% for landing both alongside Brown. The chance of getting at least one of the two is around 45%.
Where things stand
Brown announced her pledge to South Carolina on Instagram Live on Saturday, and it was the Gamecocks’ first 2027 commitment. She visited the weekend of September 18 alongside Palmer and Banks. A visit the same weekend is a good sign, but it isn’t a commitment.
GG Banks: about 30%
The timeline matters most. Banks is down to South Carolina, LSU and Texas, and she announces October 9. That’s four days away, so this one resolves first.
For South Carolina:
- Brown is a former Ursuline teammate of Banks, and the visit overlapped. A friend choosing Columbia first can help.
- South Carolina wants an elite point guard to pair with Brown, and Banks is the hoped-for target. The role is open for her.
- South Carolina has been interested in her since before she became a top-five prospect.
Against:
- Style fit. Banks has said she takes risks with her passes and that some schools like that and some don’t. One analyst argued that Staley’s balanced system and defense-first demands may not suit a star who wants more individual responsibility. That analysis is about 20 days old and predicted “No.”
- Staley has said players must accept some “sacrifice” to play at South Carolina. Brown’s commitment also shows a four-star point guard fits within the budget, which doesn’t help the case for an elite one.
- LSU and Texas are serious. An older On3 prediction page had LSU at 31%, but that is about six months old and now stale.
My split: LSU about 40%, South Carolina about 30%, Texas about 30%.
Jordyn Palmer: about 25%
Palmer is the harder one to project because her process is open-ended.
- She has visited Ohio State and UCLA, is expected to visit Penn State, and has not set a commitment date.
- Ohio State looks like the main rival. She visited South Carolina and Ohio State in September, and they were the two programs named in her recruitment.
- She is also the No. 1 prospect in Pennsylvania, so Penn State has a home-state pull.
- She is a wing, and the Gamecocks have fewer wing needs than point guard needs. That makes her less of a roster-driven pick than Banks.
With several unvisited or recently visited schools still in play, South Carolina is a contender but not the favorite.
The trio odds
If the two decisions were independent, 30% × 25% is about 7.5%. They aren’t independent. Recruits who visit together and talk to each other often move in a group, and a Banks commitment on October 9 could pull Palmer closer. I bump the joint probability to about 10%.
| Outcome | Estimate |
|---|---|
| Banks to South Carolina | ~30% |
| Palmer to South Carolina | ~25% |
| Both join Brown | ~10% |
| At least one joins Brown | ~45% |
| Neither | ~55% |
What to watch
- October 9 announcement. Banks’s pick is the biggest swing. If she chooses South Carolina, I’d raise Palmer’s odds to the 35–40% range.
- Palmer’s Penn State visit and any date announcement.
- Roster math. Tessa Johnson could return for a fifth year. If she doesn’t, South Carolina has at least four 2027 spots to fill. More open spots mean more flexibility.
- Brown’s recovery. She is coming off a February ACL injury.
The dream trio is possible, but it’s a long shot. A realistic good outcome is Brown plus one star.
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