By SAM LANCE
NORTH AUGUSTA, SC — Class of 2026 five-star forward Caleb Gaskins has taken major steps in his game this summer.
Gaskins, the 6-foot-8 forward out of Columbus (FL) and the Nightrydas Elite AAU program, has become a dominant physical force and is a handful to deal with in the painted area. He also has the best middy in AAU basketball and can make shots from range. All of his skills were on display at Nike EYBL Peach Jam.
In five pool play games, Gaskins averaged 20.0 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, making him one of five players at the 17u level to average a double-double. He was also efficient, shooting 54.5% from the field and 5-of-14 (35.7%) from 3-point range.
Gaskins said his physicality on both offense and defense have improved this summer. He’s now able to get to his spots easier without getting bumped off. And of course, his middy was falling at Peach.
“People are surprised I hit my middy so much,” Gaskins told ZAGSBLOG. “But it all comes with time in the gym, being a gym rat. I work on it whenever I’m in the gym whenever I can, so that’s the reason it goes in so much.”
Gaskins was able to attend Team USA U19 training camp in June, and while he didn’t make the final roster, he still learned valuable lessons from playing with some of the top players in the country.
“It was a really good experience for me to see where I’m at in my game,” Gaskins said. “Because I’m 16-years-old and going against kids that’s in college or going to college. And a whole bunch of seniors. So it just shows how much I’ve improved and that I can hang with anybody.”
On the recruitment front, Gaskins hasn’t locked in any official visits besides Texas, which he’ll see in September. An exact date still hasn’t been set. Gaskins said most of his visits will come in August, September, October.
Besides Texas, some of the other schools involved include Florida State, Indiana, Louisville, Miami and Ole Miss. Gaskins gave his thoughts on these programs to ZAGSBLOG:
Florida State: “I talk to them almost every day. Coach [Luke] Loucks, he really believes in me. I’m a Florida boy, so I live not too far from Tallahassee. So that’s a good plus.”
Indiana: “Indiana just picked up. I don’t really know much about Indiana yet, so I don’t think I can speak too much on them. But they picked up their recruitment for me.”
Louisville: “They’ve been constant in my recruitment. I’m excited to see what they have for me. The will to believe in me and trust me to be a part of their program [stands out].”
Miami: “They’re constant with me in my recruiting process. My coach [Andrew Moran] is there, so it’s an easier recruitment I’d say since it’s so close to home. I live like 15 minutes from Miami.”
Ole Miss: “I have a really good relationship with coach [Chris] Beard and coach [Wes] Flanigan.”
Texas: “It will be my first official visit, so I’m really excited for it and I take it as a blessing. I know [Sean Miller’s] gotten a lot of people to the league. He plays an up-tempo style. They’re trying to get guys for the new coaching staff — since it’s been their first — they’re trying to get guys that they can trust and be able to make a statement as a whole new program.”
At Peach Jam, ZAGSBLOG spotted Moran at every game. Loucks and Miller also watched multiple games.
Gaskins hasn’t given much thought to potentially narrowing down his list.
“I’m trying to take my time with it, narrowing my options down,” Gaskins said. “I couldn’t tell you an exact date, but it should be sometime, I would say maybe August. Around that time.”
The five-star is also weighing a decision timeline.
“It just depends, you know, with the transfer portal,” Gaskins said. “If I believe I should sign early, I’ll sign early. But if not, and I want to weigh my options still and see the transfer portal, then I’ll wait. So I’m not in a rush to do anything.”
The biggest factor for Gaskins in making a final decision will be finding a place that feels like home.
“A coach that believes in a young freshman like myself who has a good relationship with my family, loves my family,” Gaskins said. “Because for me, my family has a lot to do with my success. So just welcoming me with open arms and trusting me. That’s pretty much it.”
Gaskins is ranked the No. 13 overall prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. His little brother, Cayden Gaskins, is also a hooper and plays with the 15u Nightrydas squad. Their older sister, Alasia Spivey, played college ball at Odessa State.
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