Jerzy Robinson scouting report: What to expect from 5-star South Carolina recruit
Dawn Staley put the proverbial bow on her 2026 recruiting class just a few days before Christmas.
South Carolina picked up a commitment from five-star guard Jerzy Robinson on Dec. 23. The 6-foot prospect from Sierra Canyon (Calif.) is the third and probably final high school player to announce a pledge to Staley and the Gamecocks this cycle.
Robinson is ranked No. 5 nationally in the Class of 2026 by ESPN. She’ll join the growing lists of highly touted recruits to join South Carolina in recent years. Her high school head coach, Alicia Komaki, expects her to be a great fit with the Gamecocks.
“The biggest thing is how competitive Jerzy is and her goals for basketball,” Komaki told The State . “I think Dawn is one of the best people who can help her accomplish those goals, and will bring out the next level of Jerzy Robinson. ... I think there’s certain people who can tap into that next gear, that next level of superstars, and I think Dawn will do that really well.”
The Jerzy Robinson scouting report
SLAM Magazine described Robinson’s game as “bully ball meets finesse” this summer. That’s an apt description, she told The State.
“When I was younger, it was just bully ball,” Robinson said. “But then, people start scheming. Film starts coming out on you and people understand who you are. So that’s where you have to add the finesse.”
Robinson’s toughness on the court helps her stand out among other top recruits in the country. She credits that to the environment she grew up in. Robinson played on an all-boys team from fifth to eighth grade. Her family — specifically her older cousins and father, former linebacker Darnell Robinson — played a role in molding her toughness as well.
“I was one of the boys and you had to be tough. You had to really get out the mud,” Robinson said. “Obviously my father, who’s been my trainer, my support, my best friend through it all, he played football. ... He brought that mentality into my training. So it was grind, it was blood, sweat and tears for me, and that’s really how I was raised. That’s my mentality in every situation on the court.”
Komaki described Robinson as a “complete, all-around basketball player,” and said there’s a reason she’s ranked so highly by various recruiting sites.
“She can handle the ball, she can score the ball, she rebounds the ball, she plays tremendous defense, and she can score the ball,” Komaki said. “When you’re when you can do all those things, that’s great, but when you’re elite at doing all those things, that’s a whole different conversation, right?”
Robinson’s playing time in her senior season has been limited due to a small nagging foot injury. She made her debut for Sierra Canyon against Louisville (Calif.) in early January and recorded nine points, five rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes, per MaxPreps.
“In games, you’re going to not be shooting well,” Robinson said. “You might miss every shot (so) I’m gonna go rebound. I’m gonna go do something else to provide for the team and support and put in my efforts as well.”
While Robinson has plenty of play-making ability on offense, Komaki said the team misses her capabilities as a defender the most when she’s out.
“She’s really just a bucket, is what she is,” Komaki said. “But I think what gets overlooked a lot, too, is how good of a defender she is. ... Defensively is what we missed most from her. She can guard one through five positions, and she’s a great rebounder. There’s a lot of other things I think that kind of get left out of discussion about her game.”
Robinson’s skills have earned her time with Team USA in recent years. She’s earned gold medals in each of the last three years at the FIBA U19 World Cup (2025), FIBA U17 World Cup (2024) and FIBA Americas U16 Championship (2023).
Across 19 games in those three tournaments she averaged 15.6 points, seven rebounds and 1.5 assists. Robinson earned MVP honors in 2024 at the FIBA U17 World Cup after averaging 20.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. She also earned MVP honors at the FIBA Americas U16 Championship in 2023 when she averaged a double-double with 17.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
What could she do at South Carolina?
The general consensus is that Robinson will have a bright future in college — and possibly even on to the pros.
Could she turn into a National Player of the Year type of player? That’s up to Robinson, Komaki says.
“She wants to be part of an elite program. She wants to win a championship. I don’t really know if you necessarily go to South Carolina to be a National Player of the Year these days,” Komaki said. “They’re loaded. The roster is loaded. Will she make an impact? Absolutely. Because even if she doesn’t get on the court in games, and I’m not saying that’s not going to happen, but even if that doesn’t happen, she’s going to impact practice.”
Whether Robinson knows it or not, the mindset she had playing for Team USA in international play will likely help her out at South Carolina.
There’s no guarantee Robinson will start right away for the Gamecocks, and she could begin college with a smaller role, but her time with the national team taught her how to adapt to that.
“Through that experience, you play with the best girls in America instead of against them,” Robinson said. “… It’s all about adapting. You are with the best girls, so you might not play as much as you play on your AAU team or your high school team. And you understand that sacrifice a bit, because we’re playing for the three letters across our chest that are more important than the letters that are on the back of us.”
Regardless of her role when she first gets to Columbia, Komaki firmly believes Robinson will have an impact on the Gamecocks.
“She’s going to be prepared,” Komaki said. “She’s going to know what she’s doing. She’s going to battle every day…Somebody like that is just going to make your practice better, they’re going to make your team better. They’re already making an impact, whether they touch the court and play any minutes in games or not.”
This story was originally published January 20, 2026 at 7:47 AM with the headline "Jerzy Robinson scouting report: What to expect from 5-star South Carolina recruit."
