Rocktop Academy’s Jackson Gaffney still navigating a ‘tough’ college recruiting process

After a handful of stops during his high school basketball career, Jackson Gaffney is still trying to find a home at the college level.

The 6-foot-8 wing finished a postgraduate year at Rocktop Academy in King of Prussia this season. He’s confident this path will help him receive a scholarship offer from a mid-major school soon, he said.

“The journey has been tough, but the harder the path, the better the person will come out on the other side,” Gaffney said. “I’m on five phone calls a day, so I think something within the next week will definitely be coming in.”

Gaffney started his high school career at the Haverford School. After two seasons, he transferred to St. Joseph’s Prep, where he played in 16 games as a junior in 2021-22.

In 2022-23, Gaffney joined Radnor High, his hometown public school. He missed the first 11 games due to injury but returned to the floor to help the Raptors win Central League and District 1 championships on the way to the state quarterfinals.

The goal this season was to prove to college coaches that he can make an impact. He averaged 27 points for Rocktop.

“It was different, it was a year I needed to take, and I think it helped me a lot,” Gaffney said. “They made me into a guard, and it kind of helped me transition because I always had the skills. They let me play point guard sometimes, and I think that will help me flourish at the next level.”

Gaffney can knock down three-pointers and produce at the rim. He’s had Division I programs reach out throughout the winter, although he didn’t want to name any schools in particular.

“Right now I’m talking to some schools; the transfer portal is crazy so I’ll have to see where coaches and players end up,” Gaffney said. “Hopefully within the next month I’ll figure it out. A lot of mid-major schools are very interested; no offers at the moment but lots of conversation and phone calls.”

During what can be a stressful yet exciting, time, Gaffney is remaining patient, knowing that it will sort itself out.

He hopes to find a program that is focused on maintaining a positive environment.

“I’m open to everything, I just want to find a good situation that feels like home,” Gaffney said. “Doesn’t matter where or how far, I want to go somewhere and stay there for four years. I want to enjoy the culture, the coaches, the players, the school, and the academics.”

This story was produced as part of a partnership between The Inquirer and City of Basketball Love, a nonprofit news organization that covers high school and college basketball in the Philadelphia area while also helping mentor the next generation of sportswriters. This collaboration will help boost coverage of the city’s vibrant amateur basketball scene, from the high school ranks up through the Big 5 and beyond.