South Carolina Hosts Three Elite Recruits for Official Visits Over Football Weekend
South Carolina women’s basketball welcomed a trio of highly-touted 2027 recruits to campus for official visits this past weekend, with the trip coinciding with the football program’s game against Mississippi State.
Two Five-Star Prospects Highlight the Group
Jezelle “GG” Banks and Jordyn Palmer, both five-star recruits, headlined the visit. Banks is ranked No. 5 nationally in ESPN’s class rankings, while Palmer sits at No. 7. Rounding out the trio was four-star point guard Taylor Brown, ranked No. 30 in the 2027 class.
A Full Weekend Experience
The recruits’ visit included a range of activities beyond basketball, including photoshoots and a stop at Soda City Market, according to their social media accounts. Palmer even went fishing with South Carolina sophomore Ayla McDowell, per McDowell’s Instagram. All three prospects were present for South Carolina’s football game against Mississippi State on Saturday, giving them a taste of the broader athletic culture at the school.
Banks’ Recruitment and Résumé
Banks, a 5-foot-10 point guard from The St. James Performance Academy in Virginia, has already completed official visits to LSU and Texas in recent weeks. Her production this past season was strong, averaging 14.3 points and 5.4 assists per game as a junior. She also won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s AmeriCup this summer, competing alongside fellow South Carolina recruit Kelsi Andrews, a current Gamecock freshman.
Palmer’s Standout International Summer
Palmer, a 6-foot-1 forward from Oxford, Pennsylvania, has an official visit to Ohio State still on her schedule, according to On3’s Talia Goodman. Like Banks, she also represented Team USA at the AmeriCup this summer — and turned in a tournament MVP performance, averaging 18.8 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Brown’s Recruiting Trail
Brown, a 5-foot-6 point guard from Long Island Lutheran in New York, has already taken official visits to Tennessee and Virginia Tech, with a trip to North Carolina scheduled for October, according to multiple reports. South Carolina extended its offer to Brown back in May, per On3.
What This Means for South Carolina
With three top-30 national prospects — including two top-10 recruits — spending a full weekend in Columbia, South Carolina’s recruiting push for the 2027 class continues to gain serious momentum. The shared connection between Banks, Palmer, and Andrews through their international competition together this summer could serve as an added advantage for Staley’s pitch, giving the prospects built-in familiarity and chemistry that could factor into their eventual decisions.
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