Zaniya Johnson, a five-star center in the Class of 2027, has narrowed her recruitment to a showdown between Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks and Kim Mulkey’s LSU Tigers. According to 247Sports, she will reveal her choice on Oct. 21 at 12:35 p.m. ET.
A Field Cut to Two
Johnson started with a top five of South Carolina, LSU, Texas A&M, Florida State and Mississippi State. Last week she posted on social media that the race had come down to the Gamecocks and the Tigers.
The 6-foot-4 post from Biloxi, Mississippi, plays at Biloxi High School and holds the No. 18 spot in ESPN’s 2027 class rankings.
The Columbia Visit
Johnson was in Columbia the weekend of Oct. 3, beginning her trip on Oct. 2 based on her social media posts. She was seen on the sideline with Staley ahead of South Carolina’s football game against Kentucky.
A Big Month for Staley’s Recruiting
A Johnson pledge would be Staley’s third of October. The Gamecocks already landed Taylor Brown, a four-star point guard ranked No. 30, and GG Banks, a five-star point/combo guard ranked No. 4 in the cycle. Brown picked South Carolina over UNC and Tennessee. Banks had LSU among her three finalists, along with Texas, before choosing Columbia.
Jordyn Palmer, the No. 8 prospect nationally, visited South Carolina on Sept. 19 alongside Banks and Brown. She has no decision date yet. Palmer has since visited Penn State and has also taken trips to UCLA and Ohio State.
Frontcourt Outlook
Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins are both headed to the WNBA next year, leaving openings up front. If no one enters the transfer portal, South Carolina’s 2027-28 frontcourt would feature Alicia Tournebize, Kelsi Andrews, Kaeli Wynn, Adhel Tac, Joyce Edwards and Oliviyah Edwards.
Bottom Line
Johnson’s decision may shape how South Carolina’s 2027 class finishes. With Banks and Brown already on board, adding a five-star big would give Staley a class with elite talent at multiple positions and help replace the production lost with Kitts and Watkins. A win over Mulkey and LSU for a prospect who also visited Baton Rouge would be another notable recruiting result for the Gamecocks. The answer arrives Oct. 21.
