Looking through the 2023 recruiting class, you’d be hard pressed to find a player with a higher motor and more athleticism than Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God four-star Brandon Gardner.

While the 6-foot-7 forward is known for his athletic ability, his game has continued to mature and develop beyond hustle buckets and high-flying dunks. Gardner has gotten stronger with the ball off of the bounce and extended his range out to the three-point line.

Combine his evolving skill set with his freakish athleticism, and it’s easy to see why college coaches are blowing his phone up on a daily basis.

Gardner just wrapped up an official visit to Auburn earlier this week, where he got to take in the environment surrounding the Tigers’ matchup with Alabama.

“It was great,” Gardner said. “It was a great experience. They showed me the real. I loved how the coaches interact with each other and with the players. The fan base and the energy were just crazy, like ‘I’m literally at Auburn’. It was so wild that at one point I couldn’t even hear myself.”

While the Tigers definitely cemented themselves as one of Brandon’s top schools, there’s other schools that are right there towards the top as well. Some other schools regularly in contact with Gardner include Georgetown, Kansas, Florida, Alabama, and St. John’s.

The 2023 four-star seems to also have a special connection with the Georgetown coaching staff.

“The relationships I have with the coaches like Coach (Robert) Kirby, that’s my guy. When I wasn’t playing with my injury, they came to see me at my house because they couldn’t make the practice. I just loved it there.”

WHAT'S NEXT?

“I’m visiting St. John’s on Monday. We’ve never been to New York, but I like what they have to offer. In terms of my timetable, I’m looking to make a decision sometime after Peach Jam this summer.” -- Brandon Gardner

RIVALS REACTION:

Whoever lands Gardner is going to get a blue-collar worker who goes 110% every time he steps on the floor. He’s a two-way player who excels in protecting the rim and is a nightmare in transition or with a head of steam going to the basket.

Recruitment wise, Auburn and Georgetown have seemed to rise to the top of his list of schools, but there’s still a ton of schools in play outside of those two. Be on the lookout for a visit to another SEC school coming up later this month.