South Carolina offers elite DMV pass rusher
The South Carolina football coaching staff has had a lot of luck landing talent from the DMV in recent years. One of the staff’s best recruiters of the greater Washington DC metro area has been defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas. On Thursday, Lucas handed out a scholarship offer to an elite player from the area. 4-star class of 2027 EDGE James Pace announced his offer via social media.
The Hyattsville, Maryland native plays his high school ball at DeMatha Catholic High School. DeMatha Catholic has produced several recent USC signees, including current Gamecock offensive lineman Tree Babalade.
Pace has earned offers from a long list of major programs, including Alabama, Georgia, Penn State, Florida, Maryland, Miami, Florida State, Oregon, Auburn, and more.
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As a player, Pace is a high-upside athlete coming off the edge. Because of an elite first step and good body control, he’s practically unblockable as a pass rusher. He knows how to play the run, too, and once he adds mass in a college weight room, he can be strong in that part of his game.
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Pace isn’t quite as long as many other elite defensive ends (he’s listed at 6-3). However, the rising junior is extremely slippery, and when he does engage blockers, he uses leverage well.
With those traits, On3’s industry ranking considers Pace as the nation’s No. 93 player in the 2027 class. He is also the No. 10 EDGE in the cycle and Maryland’s No. 3 prospect.
South Carolina has a pair of pass rushers on its current roster who hail from the DC/Baltimore area. Former 5-star Dylan Stewart and former 4-star Desmond Umeozulu hail from the DMV. Heading into 2025, Stewart projects as one of the best players in the entire country, and Umeozulu should be in for his biggest role with the Gamecocks yet. USC wideout Nyck Harbor was a 5-star athlete from the DMV who was an EDGE in high school; Lucas played a big role in his recruitment, too.
