South Carolina football offers productive area linebacker with Gamecock ties
Jackson Ross’ recruiting continues to pick up momentum.
On Friday, South Carolina offered the Hammond junior linebacker. Gamecocks tight end coach Shawn Elliott was by the school on Friday, as USC is busy on the recruiting trail this week and defensive coordinator Clayton White was the one who extended the offer.
“It means a lot,” Ross told The State of the Gamecocks’ offer. “It’s obviously a program I have grown up idolizing.”
Ross’ family has a connection to Gamecock athletics. Jackson’s father, David, played for the USC hoops program from 1997-2001 and is currently the Skyhawks’ head basketball coach.
Ross has been one of the area’s top linebackers the past two seasons and has Division I offers from Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Wake Forest, Appalachian State, Liberty and Miami (Ohio).
Ross has had visits to Duke, UNC, Vanderbilt, South Carolina and Georgia and says he will be going to Duke, UNC, USC and Clemson this winter and spring. He plans to trim his top schools closer to summer.
“Right now, I am as open-minded as I can be,” Ross said of the recruiting process. “Really looking at systems in terms of the way they play their linebackers as well as how many they have on the field.”
The 6-foot-3 Ross had 93 tackles (13 for loss), eight sacks, eight QB pressures, and 11 pass breakups this season. He also caught six touchdown passes as a tight end on offense and helped out as a field kicker, hitting the game-winning FG against Heathwood Hall.
As a sophomore, Ross had 134 tackles (14 for loss), 12.5 sacks, six pass breakups, two interceptions, 17 quarterback pressures and scored three defensive touchdowns.
The Gamecocks are recruiting him as a linebacker.
Ross is a three-sport standout, also playing basketball and soccer. He scored a career-high 40 points earlier this week against Cardinal Newman.
This story was originally published January 9, 2026 at 4:03 PM with the headline "South Carolina football offers productive area linebacker with Gamecock ties."
