South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is rolling on the recruiting trail, folks. Just a few weeks before the Gamecocks are set to open the 2026-27 season in Paris, France on Nov. 2, South Carolina has landed its third five-star prospect to the 2027 class.
The Gamecocks have successfully landed five-star center Zaniya Johnson to their 2027 class. Johnson committed to the Gamecocks despite the LSU Tigers being a finalist. Johnson, out of Biloxi, Miss., is rated by the 247Sports Composite as the No. 2 overall center for 2027 and the 16th rated player in her class overall.
She is the top-rated player out of her home state of Mississippi.
The moment when Zaniya Johnson announced she will be a Gamecock. 🐣 pic.twitter.com/Uj733IoRTy
— WNBAGamecocks (@WNBAGamecocks) October 21, 2026
I truly believe [South Carolina] has everything I need and more to grow both on and off the court," Johnson said of her commitment to the Gamecocks via ESPN. "South Carolina has a proven track record of developing post players, and having the opportunity to be part of a program like that was something I couldn't pass up."
Staley has been on a roll on the recruiting trail, as Johnson is the third five star to commit to South Carolina's 2027 class. The Gamecocks got the hot streak rolling with the commitment of five-star point guard Taylor Brown on Oct. 3. South Carolina also added five-star Jezelle "GG" Banks to the class on Oct. 11.
Johnson took a visit to Columbia the weekend of Oct. 2, also taking visits to Florida State, LSU and Texas A&M. She previously had a visit to Mississippi State scheduled for this month but cancelled it after visiting the Gamecocks.
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According to MaxPreps, she averaged 14.1 points per game with 7.6 1.8 blocks per game last season as a junior for Biloxi High School. Here's a look at 247Sports' scouting report of what Johnson brings to the Gamecocks:
Johnson has the type of legitimate size that colleges nationwide covet in the frontcourt. She is more than capable of serving as a force around the paint. Johnson’s college level upside will be largely predicated on her ability to finish through contact. Right now, Johnson doesn’t see many opponents that have the same size base that she does.
She’s got good hands to go along with her catch radius. That combination should aid Johnson in being a consistent rebounding option. In that regard, Johnson will provide a similar skill base to Iowa standout post Hannah Stuelke as an incoming freshman. Like Stuelke did, Johnson will have plenty of opportunity to grow and prove over the course of the next 4-5 seasons of play.
This could be a busy recruiting week for Coach Staley, as the Gamecocks are also a finalist for five-star Jordyn Palmer. She is scheduled to make her announcement on Friday, Oct. 23.
Congrats to Johnson on her commitment, and welcome home to the Gamecocks!
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