Transfer portal tracker: Mid-May update

The 15-day spring transfer portal window came and went with South Carolina’s roster seeing minimal attrition and virtually no damage in terms of players projected to make a major impact this season.

The spring window — the latest time period for prospects who enter enter the transfer portal — ran from April 15-April 30. And then all of the attention turned to the Gamecocks (and everyone else) trying to add players.

After losing three players during the portal window, in the days since South Carolina has added a key transfer in former Syracuse EDGE Jatius Geer.

The Gamecocks also looked to add a running back and highly prioritized former Notre Dame back Logan Diggs, who ultimately chose to return home to play for his former coach Brian Kelly.

After the latest window closed, portal entry activity obviously slowed but graduates are still able to enter between now and next season.

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South Carolina spring transfer portal additions

EDGE Jatius Geer – Syracuse – Three years of eligibility – 5/11/23

South Carolina native and transfer portal EDGE Jatius Geer, who spent the last two seasons at Syracuse, announced a commitment to the Gamecocks Thursday, potentially filling a major need on the roster.

The 6-foot-6, 233-pounder emerged as a big-time pass-rusher for Syracuse as a redshirt freshman this past season, playing in all 13 games with 12 starts.

Geer finished the year with 33 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and a blocked kick.

Geer entered the transfer portal on April 26 with South Carolina quickly moving in to make him a priority.

MORE ON GEER: Inside the commitment | Coach’s Corner | PFF Breakdown

** In addition to Geer, South Carolina added some resourceful help from the transfer portal on the offensive line as well with the addition of two preferred walk-ons, Jaxon Hughes and Ni Mansell.

Hughes started the last two seasons at left tackle for Charlotte, including the 49ers matchup with the Gamecocks in William-Brice Stadium.

Mansell has played at least 20 games for Mercer, where he was a guard.

South Carolina spring transfer portal entries

DB Anthony Rose – 4/15/23

Technically, the South Carolina redshirt freshman defensive back wasn’t even on the South Carolina roster when he entered the portal on the first day that it opened last month.

Rose was suspended indefinitely for his alleged involvement in an incident on campus when he was arrested for allegedly having a gun on campus and was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and carrying or displaying a firearm in a public building or adjacent area, according to police reports.

Rose, one of three South Carolina players suspended for their alleged involvement, had a long path back to even potentially get back on the team and now will try to get a new start elsewhere.

Before arriving at South Carolina, Rose was a three-star recruit, per the On3 Industry Rankings, a proprietary algorithm that compiles ratings and rankings from all four primary recruiting media services. He was the No. 453 overall player in the 2022 class coming out of Hallandale (FL) High School.

QB Braden Davis – 4/26/23

The redshirt freshman South Carolina quarterback announced last Wednesday he would enter the NCAA transfer portal, the second Gamecocks player that day to make such an announcement.

Davis did not see any game action in his first season with the Gamecocks, taking a redshirt last season.

He was in a quarterback room that had become quite crowded with Spencer Rattler choosing to stay another year and LaNorris Sellers arriving in January as talented high-upside freshman.

Davis arrived at South Carolina in January of 2022, after graduating from Middletown High School in Delaware. He was highly touted as the Gatorade Delaware Football Player of the Year, and led the Cavaliers to an 11-1 record and the state championship as a senior.

Davis was also selected for the Under Armour All-America game and ranked as the No. 2 player in the state of Delaware, the 32nd-best quarterback prospect in the country, and No. 570 overall prospect in the 2022 class in the On3 Industry Ranking, an average of all four major recruiting media services.

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DL Demetrius Watson – 4/26/23

The redshirt freshman defensive tackle announced his decision to enter the transfer portal after one season with South Carolina.

In his lone year with the Gamecocks, Watson did not appear in any games and worked with the scout team.

The defensive tackle room was also quite crowded with Xzavier McLeod and Elijah Davis joining the fold and a couple of others from Watson’s class seemingly ahead of him on the depth chart.

Watson joined South Carolina as the No. 14 in-state player and the No. 122 defensive lineman in the class of 2022, according to the On3 Industry ranking.

As a high school senior, Watson earned first-team All-State 5A honors at Fort Dorchester High School after leading the team to a 12-1 record.

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