UNC Basketball: Could 2023 commit GG Jackson leave for South Carolina?

Whether you’re a fan of how it goes or not, NCAA Basketball recruiting can be some of the oddest and yet most interesting storylines in sports. We’ve seen top-50 prospect Dior Johnson de-commit from both Syracuse and Oregon before setting on Pittsburgh this offseason, while former No. 1 prospect Shaedon Sharpe joined Kentucky midway through last season, only to never suit up and enter the NBA Draft as a top-10 pick.

And while the 2022 recruiting class looks to be all but settled, rumors have emerged regarding top-3 overall prospect GG Jackson and what he may be doing. Earlier in the offseason, the 6’9 power forward recruit committed to North Carolina over the likes of South Carolina, Duke, Georgetown, Auburn, and the NBA G League.

Jackson’s name would emerge again later in the offseason when the team was looking for a new starting power forward to replace Brady Manek. It looked like there was a chance that the five-star commit would “reclassify” to play this upcoming season for the Tar Heels. Instead, the player dismissed those rumors and the program landed Northwestern transfer, Pete Nance.

So that would end all the speculation, right? Well, an article by Jamie Shaw of on3sports speculates that Jackson could potentially make another move this offseason and that all options are on the table. It includes potentially leaving for South Carolina, the G League, or sticking around for the Tar Heels. And look, Jackson has already stated that he’s not going anywhere but reporters from other outlets have been bringing it up as well this past weekend. And we’ve seen bigger surprises before on the recruiting trail.

So what will GG Jackson do? Here’s a closer look at all of his potential options, including the previous final six but focusing on what seems to be a new “final 3”.