St. John's signee Brandon Gardner requests NLI release

Four-star power forward Brandon Gardner, a St. John’s signee, has requested to be released from his National Letter of Intent, he told On3.

The 6-foot-7, 210-pound senior committed to the Red Storm back in June before signing during the early period in November. Gardner, who plays at Christ The King (N.Y.) chose St. John’s over offers from LSU, Georgetown, Kansas, Auburn, Alabama, Florida, Memphis, and others.

Gardner, a native of Raleigh, N.C., provided the following statement to On3:

“I would like to thank St. John’s University, Coach Anderson for recruiting me, the amazing fan base and the entire coaching staff for all the love, respect and belief you have all shown my family and I during my recruitment process.

“I want to share that I’ve recently requested my release from St. John’s to reopen my recruitment process to all schools including St. John’s. I look forward to embarking on this journey once more, and will make the best decision for my future and the game I love so much.”

There has been a coaching staff change since Gardner first pledged to the Red Storm. St. John’s fired Mike Anderson at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season and have since hired Hall-of-Fame coach Rick Pitino.

Gardner is ranked as the No. 86 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings — the average ranking from all four major recruiting media companies (ESPN, 247Sports, Rivals, On3). 

Scouting Report

“Brandon Gardner is a long and explosive forward prospect. He has a quick lift, possibly as much as anyone in high school basketball. He uses his vertical explosion and 7-foot wingspan to be a factor around the basket. His ball skills have improved this season; he can face up and attack off two dribbles. Gardner has touch, you see it from the free-throw line, and he has become a more consistent shooter when asked to take jump shots. However, Gardner can be fierce around the basket, and as he continues to put on strength, his game will only continue to become more productive.” – On3’s Jamie Shaw

Gardner On3 NIL Valuation

Brandon Gardner currently holds a $19,900 On3 NIL Valuation.

The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets the standard market NIL value for high school and college athletes. A proprietary algorithm, the On3 NIL Valuation calculates an athlete’s NIL value using dynamic data points targeting three primary categories: performance, influence and exposure.

About On3 NIL Valuation, Brand Value, Roster Value

While the algorithm includes deal data, it does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals athletes have completed to date, nor does it set an athlete’s NIL valuation for their entire career.

The On3 NIL Valuation accounts for an athlete’s roster value and brand value. Roster value is the value an athlete has by being a member of his or her team at his or her school, which factors into the role of NIL collectives. Brand value factors in an athlete’s personal brand and the value it could bring to regional and national brands outside of the scope of NIL collectives.