2025 EDGE Anthony Addison commits to South Carolina, Shane Beamer: ‘He wants to win with guys from South Carolina’

Sumter (S.C.) three-star EDGE Anthony Addison received an offer from South Carolina on Nov. 25. It was a significant one since he is not only an in-state recruit, but also has known defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas since his freshman year.

Addison has already visited the Gamecocks close to 10 times and will be back in Columbia from June 21-23 for his official visit. He will be a South Carolina commit on that trip, as he pledged to head coach Shane Beamer and his staff on Friday. 

“I love how they plan on using me,” Addison told On3. “It is close to home. It is only 50 minutes, so I know all my family will be able to come and see me. Coach Beamer, he stayed on me. I know I am going somewhere where the head coach believes in me and believes in what I can do.

“Also, I know for sure that coach Lucas is going to help develop me into an NFL player. I’ve seen him do it already. They played a whole lot of true freshmen last year, so that shows me that they believe in developing their players.” 

Addison is excited to play for the ‘unbelievable’ South Carolina fanbase

Addison, who chose South Carolina over Duke, Tennessee and West Virginia, is excited to stay in The Palmetto State for his college football career. Over his last few visits to Columbia, including one last weekend, the Gamecocks’ campus has “felt like home.” 

The No. 5 player in South Carolina also enjoys the atmosphere at Williams-Brice Stadium. He has attended South Carolina games against Clemson, Florida and Furman. 

“The fanbase is unbelievable,” said Addison, the No. 463 overall prospect and No. 42 EDGE in the 2025 On3 Industry Ranking. “The fanbase there is different. I have yet to see a fanbase that has matched them.” 

Addison is excited to play for Beamer and Lucas

During a recent trip to South Carolina, Addison saw multiple freshmen in the Gamecocks’ rotation, including EDGE Dylan Stewart, wide receiver Mazeo Bennett and safety Kelvin Hunter. That made a big impact on the four-star, who likes how Beamer leads his program.

Addison communicates with South Carolina’s head man weekly. Beamer also visited him at his high school. 

“He’s always been upfront with me about everything, even before I had an offer from South Carolina,” Addison said. “… Ever since I met him, all I could see were good things about him. I can tell that he’s building something special. Last year, they had a setback because of injuries, but in his previous years, he’s been making history with the Gamecocks. 

“They beat Clemson. Every time I go up there, he preaches that he wants to win with guys from South Carolina… Growing up in South Carolina, if the head coach tells you that he wants to win with you, that means a lot.” 

Addison is also confident that Lucas will “get the most” out of him on the field. He believes this applies to not only him, but also South Carolina’s other EDGE rushers and outside linebackers.

“I can tell that as a coach, he cares for each player,” Addison said. “I know that he’s going to be able to develop me into a great player. He’s going to take what I already have and make it into something that’s going to be able to get me to the NFL, which is my main goal. I like coach Lucas even more as a person. Before the rest of the schools came into the mix, he was the one that stayed with me all the way through. From the beginning of my recruitment, he always told me that he wanted me to play there.”