South Carolina commit Jalon Kilgore on the cusp of four-star status

As the No. 429 prospect in the county according to the industry-generated On3Consensus rankings, South Carolina football commit Jalon Kilgore is right on the cusp of four-star status.

With 400 four-star prospects in the country, the 6-foot-2, 195-pounder has actually hovered right around the line between four-star and three-star prospect for some time now, moving above and below it at various times in the process, largely based on the movement of prospects around him.

Kilgore, who committed to South Carolina in June over finalists Clemson, Michigan, Oklahoma and Tennessee Tech, was listed this week on On3‘s Charles Power‘s list of 2023 prospects on the cusp of adding a 4th star.

Below is what Power had to say about Kilgore:

Safety may be the deepest position when it comes to potential four-star talents. Jalon Kilgore is near the top of that list and has been a high three-star for the majority of the process. Simply put, the Eatonton (Ga.) Putnam County standout is one of the better two-way players in the state of Georgia. He’s a bigger safety at around 6-foot-2, 195 pounds with a wing-span over 6-foot-5. We see Kilgore line up at both receiver and safety on Friday nights. He’s an instinctive, physical defender who hits like a truck. Kilgore identifies plays and triggers quickly. He isn’t afraid to throw his body around and often dishes out punishment to receivers and ball carriers. The coordination and ball skills check out on both sides, as well. Kilgore accounted for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns on 37 catches in addition to eight pass breakups as a junior.

The Eatonton (Ga.) Putnam County standout currently ranks as the No. 42 safety in the country and the No. 40 prospect in Georgia.

With 19 commits in its No. 17-ranked 2023 class, South Carolina currently has nine four-star prospects on its commit list, giving it a blue-chip ratio of 47 percent.

Fort Myers (Fla.) Lehigh four-star wide receiver Kelton Henderson is the other prospect in the Gamecocks’ class who is closest to the three-star/four-star line. Henderson, who is a four-star at this point, is ranked the No. 370 prospect in the class.

A couple of Palmetto State prospects who South Carolina has had under evaluation were also listed in Power’s article.

QB LaNorris Sellers – Syracuse

LaNorris Sellers has been one of the more underrated quarterbacks nationally for the majority of the cycle, in our opinion. The Florence (S.C.) South Florence signal caller was off to a hot start as a junior, accounting for 16 total touchdowns (including a 10-1 TD:INT ratio) in just four games. Sellers missed the majority of the season due to a fluke injury to his left arm.

The 6-foot-2.5, 215 pounder is back to full speed and is back to another hot start to his senior season, accounting for six total touchdowns (four passing, two rushing) in one half of play in the season opener. Sellers has shown a strong arm and ability to drive the football downfield both in the camp and high school 7-on-7 settings. He’s a plus athlete for the position with good combine numbers and doubles as a standout soccer player (averaged 1.5 goals per game as a junior). Sellers is also one of the younger quarterbacks in the cycle, having turned 17 years-old in late June and a top student.

WR Nate Branch

Nate Branch is among On3’s higher-rated three-star wide receivers nationally entering the season. The Hopkins (S.C.) Lower Richland product has a well-rounded skill set as a pass catcher. He was dynamic on Friday nights as a junior, scoring 10 touchdowns on just 31 catches, while averaging 27.5 yards per reception. Branch is a big-play threat with vertical speed and the ability to pick up chunks of yards after the catch. He has plus ball skills and plays bigger than his 5-foot-10 size and shows the ability to change direction within his routes in compressed areas. We’ve also seen Branch’s top-end speed show up in track and field, where he posted a 10.70 second 100 meter time in the state finals.

The one-time Coastal Carolina commit holds offers from the likes of Kentucky, Virginia Tech and East Carolina, among others.

Discuss South Carolina football recruiting on The Insiders Forum!