South Carolina adds North Carolina linebacker
Over a year since South Carolina became the first school to offer Taeshawn Alston last May, the versatile linebacker target has committed to the Gamecocks.
The Henderson (N.C.) Vance County class of 2025 three-star linebacker announced his pledge to South Carolina Tuesday night on his Instagram during a ceremony at his school.
The 6-foot-4, 232-pounder chose the Gamecocks over North Carolina, Rutgers, and Virginia Tech.
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Though he is listed as an EDGE by On3, Alston is being recruited by South Carolina defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Clayton White to play the linebacker position.
“I feel like their plan for me defensively is great,” he said. “They want to use me as a Micah Parsons. They want to move me, but I’ll still be playing at a linebacker position. They want to move me, put me on the edge some, get a couple of rushes in. And I feel like that’s great because the ability and talent I’ve got, I feel like I can do both.”
Alston’s official visit to South Carolina, which took place on the first weekend of June, received high reviews from the defender.
“The coaches are always showing love,” he said. “They really set the bar on the official. So they were showing love and the players (too).”
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A three-star prospect according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the four major recruiting media sites, Alston is the No. 602 overall prospect and No. 51 EDGE in the country. He is considered the No. 14 prospect in North Carolina.
Alston is the third linebacker pledge in the Gamecocks’ class, joining Blackville (S.C.) Blackville-Hilda three-star Jaquel Holman and Buford (Ga.) three-star AJ Holloway.
Alston is the 16th commitment in South Carolina’s 2025 class and second in as many days after Anderson (S.C.) Westside three-star quarterback Cutter Woods flipped from Wake Forest to the Gamecocks on Monday.
