South Carolina moving up in recruiting rankings following big weekend of commitments
South Carolina football fans experienced a complicated weekend. On one hand, the results on the field left a lot to be desired as Ole Miss (playing far below their “A-game”) won a 27-3 contest that couldn’t have been much uglier for the Gamecocks. The other side of this dichotomous coin saw the Gamecocks reel in commitments from three big-time 4-star prospects.
On Friday, class of 2026 wide receiver Jordon Gidron reclassified to 2025 and also pledged his services to the Gamecocks. Then, within about an hour of each other on Saturday, fellow receiver Malik Clark completed his flip from the Florida State Seminoles by revealing his own commitment, and class of 2026 tight end Jamel Howze joined the fold, as well.
The trio of pass-catching Palmetto State pledges helped move the Gamecocks up in the On3 team recruiting rankings.
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Now slotting in at No. 23 in the class of 2025, Shane Beamer’s program has eight blue chippers committed—Gidron, Clark, wide receiver Lex Cyrus, offensive lineman Shed Sarratt, EDGE Jaquavious Dodd, linebacker Jaquel Holman, defensive back Kendall Daniels, and wide receiver Brian Rowe all have 4-star grades from the On3 industry ranking. Joining them, kicker/punter Max Kelley and long snapper Kyler Farrow are 5-star recruits according to Kohl’s Kicking. Three more also own 4-star rankings from other services.
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Currently, South Carolina football is 10th nationally and 6th in the SEC in the 2026 On3 team recruiting rankings. Only eight programs across college football have three 4-star or 5-star prospects committed for 2026. The Gamecocks are one of them. Howze, linebacker Rodney Colton, and linebacker/EDGE Keenan Britt are 4-star juniors, and offensive lineman Anthony Baxter is a 3-star player. With well over a year before the 2026 signing periods, the Gamecocks still have plenty of time to add enough talent to the class to secure another strong haul of commitments.
Beamer sent out several #WelcomeHome posts on social media on Sunday. It seems, though, as if only one of those commitment announcements has yet to reveal himself. As that name becomes known and other players potentially join the class, too, these rankings could shift again soon.
