South Carolina now trending for Rivals 4-star RB Amari Thomas

Marianna (Fla.) Blountstown running back Amari Thomas opted to back off a commitment to Florida State on Friday. He’s not exactly hitting the reset button on his recruitment, however.

Thomas told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett that he will come back off the board on Aug. 9. Arrows are now pointing toward the South Carolina Gamecocks.

When discussing his decommitment, Thomas mentioned South Carolina, Georgia Tech, UCF and Florida as programs that were standing out this summer. Head coach Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks now have the momentum in the Rivals Recruiting Prediction Machine.

Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong and John Garcia Jr., as well as FSU insider Michael Langston have all logged picks in favor of the SEC program landing Thomas’ commitment next month.

“Loved the energy up there,” Thomas told Wiltfong after taking an official visit to Columbia. “It was great … Gamecocks were amazing. Felt genuine. The people inside the building are amazing.”

Thomas is a four-star prospect and the nation’s No. 185 overall prospect in the updated Rivals300 rankings, which were released on Monday. He also checks in as the No. 18 RB and No. 25 player in Florida in the 2026 cycle.

As a junior for Blountstown, Thomas tallied nearly 1,900 yards and found the end zone 34 times. He has 56 touchdowns across his last two seasons and will be one of the top burners in the Sunshine State this fall.

Gamecocks have major momentum

On Friday, Beamer and Co. locked down a commitment from Jackson (Ala.) four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth for a second time. The elite gunslinger is locked in with the Gamecocks and now ranks as the nation’s No. 8 QB.

“I always loved South Carolina,” Duckworth told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “Coach Beamer was always the same. We have been close for a long time. That is what kept South Carolina high on my list. They had a change of offensive coordinator, so I had to get to know coach Shula better, but South Carolina was always up there.”

Earlier in the week, South Carolina beat out Tennessee and Ole Miss for Clarksville (Tenn.) Kirkwood four-star offensive tackle Kamari Blair, the No. 22 OT in the cycle. Durham (N.C.) C.E. Jordan four-star defensive lineman Noah Clark and Greenwood (S.C.) three-star athlete Triston Lewis have also joined the pledge list this month.

The class now ranks No. 17 in the nation, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. Weddington (N.C.) four-star DL Aiden Harris is the No. 74 overall prospect and remains the highest-ranked commit in the class to date.

Other blue-chippers in the mix include: Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe four-star safety J’Zavien Currence, Hemingway (S.C.) Carvers Bay four-star interior offensive lineman Zyon Guiles, Fort Mill (S.C.) Indian Land four-star athlete Sequel Patterson, Newberry (S.C.) four-star tight end Jamel Howse and Matthews (N.C.) Weddington four-star EDGE Andrew Harris.