What South Carolina’s latest recruiting hot streak means for 2023 class and beyond
South Carolina is riding a second consecutive June recruiting hot streak.
Head coach Shane Beamer and his squad are on a run that included seven public commitments last week and another pledge that has yet to be revealed. That falls in line with last June’s performance that saw the Gamecocks add 10 pledges in as many days.
So what does it mean for the rest of the 2023 recruiting cycle and South Carolina overall? Plenty.
“You can’t just get complacent,” Beamer said Monday on a Twitter Space with RedditCFB. “For us, it’s constantly trying to be forward-thinking and stay on the cutting edge.”
South Carolina currently sits with eight public commitments in its 2023 class and ranks No. 41 nationally in the 247Sports Composite team rankings — though it’s far too early to read into class rankings.
To understand the how and why USC has been able to capitalize on its ahead-of-schedule 7-6 2021 campaign via recruiting starts at the top.
It’s no secret having a head coach heavily involved in the recruiting department can change the complexion of a roster — just ask recently ousted Florida head coach Dan Mullen, who was considered out of touch with the operation toward the tail end of his tenure.
Beamer and his staff have adjusted to this new-ish, never-ending nature of the recruiting calendar (i.e. transfer portal, early signing periods, etc.) from the top down. Watch a summer camp session this June for context. Beamer rarely stands still or meanders. He’s constantly bouncing from prospect to prospect and high school coach to high school coach in between spells offering advice to youngsters running through drills.
Director of player personnel Taylor Edwards quipped last summer to The State that Beamer constantly checked in about which prospects he can lend a hand with.
“He tries to recruit every kid on the board,” Edwards said. “And that’s not possible for anybody, especially him with all the stuff he’s got going on. But it’s a good thing. He works his ass off.”
New staff additions Jody Wright (tight ends) and Sterling Lucas (defensive ends/outside linebackers) have made quick impacts in their roles on the 2023 recruiting trail as well.
Lucas, who spent last season with the Jacksonville Jaguars, is a big part of why South Carolina is in on five-star edge rusher Chandavian Bradley, who made a multiple-day stop in Columbia earlier this month and is a likely candidate to return for an official visit.
The Gamecocks are also in prime position to land four-star Sumter High School product Monteque Rhames, among others.
The son of a longtime Alabama high school coach and a former staffer under Nick Saban, Wright’s ties in the state have opened doors that weren’t previously there. He played a big role in landing a commitment from intriguing three-star Alabama athlete Kamron Sandlin. Wright also helped gain a pledge last week from three-star Florida tight end Connor Cox.
Pretty good showing for a pair of guys who’ve only been on the staff for six months.
“I think Sterling Lucas is a rising star in the business, I really do,” Jaguars general manager Trent Baalke said in March. “He’s a young man that connects well with the players. He works tirelessly. He’s a good family man, and I wish him nothing but the best at South Carolina.”
South Carolina’s needs will evolve as the season actually arrives and natural roster attrition ensues, but expect the Gamecocks to try and add a handful more offensive pieces this cycle.
The quarterback dominoes in Columbia should start to fall sooner than later. Four-star 2023 QB Dylan Lonergan is slated to announce his commitment on July 5, and South Carolina feels like a clubhouse leader or close to it. Four-star 2024 signal-caller Dante Reno could also soon pledge to USC and, in theory, is an option to reclassify to the 2023 class should all parties agree to the shift.
Offensive line, too, is a need. Seniors Eric Douglas, Dylan Wonnum and Jovaughn Gwyn should all exhaust their eligibility this season. Vershon Lee and Jaylen Nichols could theoretically return in 2023 among the projected starters, though that’s a long way out to project.
The Gamecocks added a trio of offensive linemen in the 2022 class, and already have a commitment from three-star 2023 prospect Trovon Baugh. South Carolina is also in on four-star 2023 linemen Markee Anderson and Oluwatosin Babalade. That’s not to mention three-star D.J. Geth and junior college prospect Isaiah Jatta, both of whom have 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions to the Gamecocks.
“As far as a fit, I’m a winner, a leader and am hungry,” Jatta said. “So, it would mesh up very well with what they want to accomplish, an SEC championship and winning pedigree.”
South Carolina will have more flexibility to add to its roster this cycle than it did a year ago after the NCAA passed a blanket waiver in May essentially eliminating the 25-man cap on classes year to year.
This isn’t to say USC is going to sign 32 high school prospects this go-round. The team will also still be limited to 85 total scholarship players under NCAA rules.
That said, Beamer and his staff are riding a midsummer heater that doesn’t look like it will cool off any time soon.
Phil Kornblut contributed reporting to this story.
Gamecocks 2023 Commits
OL Trovoughn Baugh, Pace Academy (Ga.)
S Judge Collier, Legion Collegiate, Rock Hill
TE Connor Cox, The Bolles School (Fla.)
WR Kelton Henderson, Lehigh Acres (Fla.)
S Jalon Kilgore, Putnam County (Ga.)
ATH Kamron Sandlin, Anniston (Ala.)
S Zahbari Sandy, St John’s, Washington (DC)
S Cam Upshaw, Taylor County (Fla.)
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What South Carolina’s latest recruiting hot streak means for 2023 class and beyond."
