Inside the commitment: Brian Rowe
South Carolina had been the long-time favorite behind the scenes for Concord (N.C.) Robinson four-star wide receiver Brian Rowe, who announced his commitment to the Gamecocks on Tuesday (April 9) afternoon after telling Shane Beamer he wanted to be a part of the program earlier that day.
Rowe had already loved the vibe and feel within the program on his previous trips, and this most recent visit allowed him the opportunity to start to get to know new receivers coach Mike Furrey in person.
Things obviously checked out and Rowe, who had summer officials set up to South Carolina and Duke, saw no reason to wait any longer and committed to the Gamecocks.
What type of player is South Carolina getting?
In asking around about Rowe the first thing that was mentioned to me was his explosiveness. In watching film of both games and 7-on-7, it was immediately apparent that he’s explosive both in terms of on-the-field acceleration and in vertical explosiveness. Rowe, to put it simply, can jump out the gym! I don’t know what his vertical is but just from watching him play its got to be pushing 40 inches, which is an indicator of athletism.
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Rowe is a bit raw as a receiver and appears to still be learning the position but is an “easy mover” who seems to effortlessly move in and out of breaks. I don’t think he’s quite the 6-foot-1, 175 pounds that he’s listed at, but the movement traits match what you’re looking for in a receiver prospect.
On3 currently has him as the highest three-star rating, and he’s a low four-star in the On3 Industry Ranking. That’s probably fair at this point, as the upside and potential put him on the border of four-star status, while the fact he’s raw does limit the rating at this time. He’s someone I’m sure On3 will continue to keep an eye on in the summer and fall, and On3’s Charles Power tells me he’s about to do his deep dive at the receiver position soon, so it’s possible the ranking could adjust even before then.
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From a big-picture standpoint, Shane Beamer has talked about wanting to recruit high school receivers at a better clip, and it appears the Gamecocks are wanting to take care of home first. Rowe isn’t an in-state guy but he’s very much in the usual footprint and helps them get back into the Tar Heel State, a state they need to break back into.
I get the impression the staff would love to have Jayden Sellers, Brian Rowe, and Rock Hill (S.C.) target Malik Clark (battle of the Carolinas with UNC as a huge threat) as local-ish receivers in the class and then they’ll shoot for the stars nationally for the other receiver spot(s) in the class.
As we previously reported, Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman class of 2025 four-star wide receiver Derek Meadows will take an official visit on the first weekend of June, while Chris Clark reported Tuesday that Weiss (Texas) wideout Adrian Wilson told GamecockCentral.com that he will be in Columbia for the Gamecocks’ annual Garnet and Black Game on April 20.
The duo of Sellers and Rowe gives Carolina a nice foundation with which to start the receiver class as they built it out from here.
