Syracuse Basketball: 2023 target is now five stars, per composite rankings

A fairly large group of Syracuse basketball fans often laments about the team’s recruiting efforts, and I respect how some of these fans feel.

However, one thing I can say about the Orange coaching staff as it pertains to recruiting is that ‘Cuse coaches absolutely do a marvelous job of identifying high-school players early on who then ultimately skyrocket in the national rankings and frequently reach five-star status.

A good example of this is 2023 prospect G.G. Jackson. The 6-foot-8 power forward continues to make major moves in the national ratings, according to various recruiting services.

Syracuse basketball coaches saw Jackson’s talent and potential early on in his recruiting process. In fact, the Orange was the first college team to offer Jackson, back in August of 2020.

His recruitment has clearly exploded, with offers from blue-blood squads and other big-time groups arriving for Jackson, who is a sophomore at Ridge View High School in Columbia, S.C.

Syracuse basketball 2023 target G.G. Jackson is an elite forward in his cycle.

Once college coaches were able to begin contacting 2023 high-school players directly starting in mid-June, the floodgates opened up for Jackson.

Some of his most recent offers are from Duke, North Carolina and Florida. His full list of scholarship offers also features teams such as Ole Miss, Tennessee, LSU, N.C. State, Maryland, Georgetown, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Wake Forest, Pittsburgh, Boston College and High Point.

From a rankings perspective, the industry-generated 247Sports Composite now rates Jackson as a five-star prospect in his class. He is No. 24 nationally, No. 4 at power forward and No. 1 in South Carolina, per the composite.

Rivals.com recently updated its 2023 player rankings, and Jackson is No. 20 across the country. He’s also on the verge of attaining five stars with that recruiting service.

ESPN, too, has published new 2023 national ratings, and it places Jackson as four stars and No. 27 overall. Finally, 247Sports has him as four stars and No. 34 nationwide.

As Jackson shines for his high school and in AAU events, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if he ends up as a five-star, top-15 prospect within his class, according to all of the primary recruiting services. He’s simply that good.

Jackson, as a member of Winston-Salem, N.C.-based Team Cp3, is currently participating in the 2021 Peach Jam in North Augusta, S.C. That Syracuse basketball coaches were first to offer him, hopefully, will help the Orange’s chances to land Jackson down the road.