In major news for the Wake Forest Basketball program, Gavin and Gallagher Placide, twins from Colorado, have committed to play for the Deacs. The brothers chose Wake Forest over other notable offers from Mississippi State, Kansas, NC State, FSU, and Ole Miss.
Gavin Placide, the taller of the two brothers at 6-10, is rated as a 4-star recruit and the 50th best prospect in the 2026 class by 247Sports. According to the scouting report from Adam Finklestein, Gavin is a “…big, strong, and mobile forward who stands out first and foremost with his defensive versatility. He’s multi-positional on that end with the size and strength to bang in the post and the footspeed to switch onto guards and slide his feet. He’s a good vertical athlete who can finish hard above the rim and has multiple bounces in the lane. That helps him to be an excellent rebounder on both ends of the floor.” Between the two brothers, it sounds like Gavin is the more physical, big man type. In the Pro16 league this summer, Gavin averaged 10.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game for the AAO Flight. His tape reminds me a lot of John Collins.
Gallagher Placide is also rated as a 4-star recruit and the 78th best prospect in the 2026 class. He is slightly shorter than his brother at 6-8 and spends more time playing on the outside. Per Finklestein, Gallagher is “…more skilled on the perimeter. He’s a little upright off the bounce, but still capable of handling to both sides and making some plays for himself and others. He’s a capable shooter, with a notably wide base in his mechanics, but still lacks ideal consistency (32% 3pt on 3.4 attempts per game in Pro 16 play and 66% from the free-throw line).” In the Pro16 league, Gallagher averaged 11.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. His tape reminds me a little of Bobi Klintmann—he has the ability to post up and score, but he’s much more effective driving to the rim from the perimeter.
The Placide twins become the highest rated high school recruits Steve Forbes has landed in his time at Wake Forest (previous high was Carter Whitt at #85).
This is a great pickup for the program.
Go Deacs!
