South Carolina rises in On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings

South Carolina earned a massive win on the recruiting trail Sunday by landing a commitment from Roebuck (S.C.) Dorman four-star interior offensive lineman Markee Anderson. A pledge from the 6-foot-4, 300 pound prospect elevated the Gamecocks’ class to No. 22 in the 2023 On3 Consensus Team Recruiting Rankings and No. 8 in the SEC. Anderson’s decision also helped South Carolina’s 2023 group increase five spots from No. 27.

“Every time I go down there, I get a better and better feeling that this might be the place…,” Anderson told Gamecock Central in the spring. “I love that it’s in-state. I’ve just got to keep my options open. I really text Coach (Greg) Adkins almost on a daily basis. Same with Coach (Shane) Beamer and it’s just great to know them, great getting to know them.”

Anderson is currently the highest-ranked prospect in the Gamecocks’ class. In the 2023 On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, he is No. 143 overall prospect and No. 10 interior offensive lineman.

On3 rates him even higher as the No. 127 overall prospect. Both rankings rate him as the No. 2 player in South Carolina behind Mount Pleasant (S.C.) Oceanside Collegiate Academy four-star offensive tackle Monroe Freeling.

South Carolina continuing successful summer on recruiting trail

Anderson was South Carolina’s third commitment in two days following Sumter (S.C.) four-star EDGE Monteque Rhames and Villa Rica (Ga.) three-star offensive tackle Jatavius Shivers. He is also the Gamecocks’ second interior offensive lineman pledge alongside Atlanta (Ga.) Pace Academy four-star Trovon Baugh. Other commits on the offensive line include Shivers and a junior college transfer in Snow College (Utah) offensive tackle Isaiah Jatta.

The Gamecocks are having a successful July, landing commitments from Anderson, Rhames, Shivers, Sandersville (Ga.) Washington County four-star running back Dontavius Braswell and Lake City (Fla.) Columbia four-star linebacker Jaden Robinson. June brought even more pledges to head coach Shane Beamer and his staff.

They included Jatta, Jacksonville (Fla.) Andrew Jackson four-star linebacker Grayson Howard, Fort Myers (Fla.) Lehigh Senior four-star wide receiver Kelton Henderson, Eatonton (Ga.) Putnam County four-star safety Jalon Kilgore, Jacksonville (Fla.) The Bolles School three-star tight end Connor Cox, Mableton (Ga.) Pebblebrook three-star wide receiver CJ Adams, Anniston (Ala.) Anniston School three-star tight end Kamron Sandlin and Rock Hill (S.C.) Legion Collegiate three-star safety Judge Collier.

South Carolina’s class currently includes 8 four-stars, 6 three-stars and one unranked prospect. The Gamecocks received a decommitment from Perry (Fla.) Taylor County three-star safety Cameron Upshaw earlier today. However, the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine has them as the favorite for Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic four-star offensive tackle Oluwatosin Babalade at 81.5%. Babalade was originally scheduled to announce his commitment today, but chose to push back his decision.