Gamecocks roll out red carpet for GG Jackson. Even Shane Beamer part of USC pitch
South Carolina pulled out all the stops this weekend during five-star basketball prospect GG Jackson’s official visit.
The visit wasn’t limited to talking with those in and around the basketball program. Gamecock football coach Shane Beamer even sat down with the 6-foot-9 Jackson, a former quarterback at Camden Middle School and teammate of USC football target Xzavier McLeod. Jackson and McLeod are cousins, and McLeod attended Ridge View’s playoff game Friday.
Beamer met with Jackson and his family on Saturday before the Gamecocks’ basketball game against LSU.
“That was cool. I don’t even know it that was planned, but he just popped in,” Jackson said Sunday night after Ridge View practice. “It was cool to have a conversation with him. He was telling me there is no place like home and every coach has told me I could go anywhere and be one and done, get to the NBA at any school, so why not stay home (in South Carolina). That has been sticking with me.”
Beamer was one of many current and former USC high-profile personnel Jackson came in contact with in the less than 48 hours of his time on campus. NBA Hall of Famer Alex English also spoke with Jackson for about 20 minutes.
English was a star at Dreher High in Columbia who played for the Gamecocks before going on to a Hall of Fame career in the pros. The USC legend also was featured a video during the LSU game. Other home-state greats — including Carey Rich, A’ja Wilson, Stephon Gilmore, Justin McKie and PJ Dozier — were on the video. Everyone ended it with, “I’m from South Carolina and I’m a Gamecock.”
“He was like, the status I am at and being a kid from here how I could elevate the city and the state as a whole,” Jackson said of his conversation with English.
Jackson also spoke with PJ Dozier, who attended his Ridge View game Wednesday along with former Gamecock Chris Silva. He also is excited that A’ja Wilson, a former Gamecock women’s basketball great, follows him on Instagram.
Jackson’s visit began Friday night after he scored 13 points in helping Ridge View to a 73-53 win over Riverside in the second round of the Class 5A playoffs. The Blazers face Fort Mill in the third round on Monday.
Jackson and his family checked in a hotel on Friday, and the visit began Saturday morning with breakfast followed by attending the Gamecocks’ pregame shootaround.
“I got a glimpse of what sort of practice would be like,” Jackson said. “I got to see where I could fit in and the guy who could get a bucket for them.”
Jackson and other recruits — including Class of 2022 signee Daniel Stanford, Lexington sophomore Cam Scott and Pace Academy (Georgia) sophomore Kyle Greene, a Columbia native — attended the game against LSU. Chants of “We want GG!” broke out on several occasions.
Jackson was engaged during the game, standing on several occasions in the Gamecocks’ 77-75 win over LSU. After the game, Jackson went to the locker room and watched the team celebrate the win.
The evening included a trip to Hall’s Chophouse in downtown Columbia for dinner. Gamecock coach Frank Martin and assistant coaches Chuck Martin and John Reynolds attended along with USC players James Reese and Devin Carter.
Reese and Carter were Jackson’s hosts for the weekend. Like Jackson, Reese played high school basketball in the Columbia area at A.C. Flora and transferred back to USC after stops at Buffalo and North Texas.
“Those two are my guys,” Jackson said. “I knew that James was the man at A.C. Flora, but getting to talk to him and getting to know him was really cool.”
After-dinner activities included walking downtown and a stop in Five Points at the Cotton Gin Pub, which is known for its marquee sign that changes regularly to appeal to recruits. Saturday’s sign read “We Want GG Jackson,” and Jackson posed for photos in front of it.
Sunday’s activities included an impromptu meeting with Gamecock quarterback Spencer Rattler. Jackson was a fan of Rattler from watching him on Netflix’s “QB1: Beyond the Lights,” which documented the QB during his recruiting process in high school.
”I about lost it,” Jackson said of the meeting with Rattler. “I have been watching him since the seventh or eighth grade.”
The family also sat down with USC athletic department representatives to talk about name, image and likeness.
In June, the NCAA adopted an interim NIL policy in which athletes can make money off endorsements or such things as autograph signings and public appearances.
Jackson’s father, Greg, said the school explained how they are navigating through the process. Because of GG’s high-profile status and being from the Columbia area, there likely would be many opportunities for endorsements from boosters and businesses, if he chooses the Gamecocks.
According to USC’s NIL policy, staff members can’t facilitate deals for athletes but “will provide student-athletes with both required and optional education opportunities regarding NIL including, life skills, career development, and financial literacy to best prepare student-athletes for the new landscape.”
The visit was capped off by going to Frank Martin’s house with all of the Gamecock coaches and their wives in attendance.
“It was a big feast with a lot of love and a lot of family around. So, we got to talk and laugh about everything,” Jackson said. “We talked about basketball and other things, different aspects of life. It was very fun, and definitely shows that we have a relationship outside of basketball that goes a long way.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2022 at 11:02 AM with the headline "Gamecocks roll out red carpet for GG Jackson. Even Shane Beamer part of USC pitch."
