'You're getting a dog': Elijah Caldwell officially signs with South Carolina

When Elijah Caldwell was growing up, he never had a “dream school” to play college football for in mind. But the thought of staying in his home state was always in the cards.

Now, that dream has turned into a reality. The class of 2023 three-star wide receiver officially signed with South Carolina Wednesday afternoon, choosing to stay home. Needless to say, he was happy to put the pen to paper.

“I’m feeling great, man. I’m signed and feeling great,” Caldwell told GamecockCentral.

Become a NIL supporter of your South Carolina Gamecocks!

Caldwell, a product of Northwestern High School in Rock Hill, originally committed to West Virginia in July. However, some coaching changes were made and he decommitted in December. As a result, the the door opened for South Carolina to bring him home.

Ultimately, it came down to the Gamecocks and NC State for Caldwell’s services.

“I love the early signing period. It’s great having one in December but there’s situations like Elijah’s situation where you’re glad that guys could wait too if they needed to,” Shane Beamer said. “So many of these young men nowadays, they have great senior years and sometimes some of them fall through the cracks because schools don’t watch as much senior tape as maybe they used to because they’re signing guys earlier.”

In Caldwell’s case, he had an outstanding senior season for the Trojans. During 2022, he caught 77 passes for 1,365 yards and 20 touchdowns, earning a spot in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. During his time there, he was able to connect with other future Gamecocks.

“I spent some time with LaNorris (Sellers), Monteque (Rhames) and Markee (Anderson). I had to spend the whole week with them at the Shrine Bowl,” Caldwell said.

Subscribe (for free) to the Gamecock Central YouTube page!

Following the Shrine Bowl, Caldwell took his official visit with Sellers, Rhames and Anderson in mid-January.

“It was just good being around them and meeting new people. Just really great being around the coaches, being around the family vibe,” he said. “It was a big junior day, so I was around a lot of the 2024 recruits. It was good.”

When his visit was over, Caldwell knew South Carolina would be the place for him.

“I’ll say the biggest thing is that they say it’s a family, and they’re going to take care of you and make sure you straight, regardless,” he said. “They’re always going to have your back. That’s what I’m big on — family.”

Additionally, his relationships with the coaching staff played a big part in his decision.

“Coach Beamer, he’s a great dude, man,” Caldwell said. “He came to the house for an in-home visit. He’s just a great dude and I love him. He’s a great coach.”

Soon after receiving an offer from the Gamecocks, wide receivers coach Justin Stepp made the trip to Rock Hill to visit with Caldwell. Stepp was primarily responsible for his recruitment.

“That’s my guy, man, that’s my guy,” Caldwell said. “Always high energy, man. He always checking in on me every night. He’s great.”

Get South Carolina football news and analysis via email

When Caldwell takes the field for the first time, he’ll join a long list of Gamecocks to come from Rock Hill, otherwise known as “Football City USA.”

“There’s a lot of great players to come out of the city, man. I’m just trying to be the next one,” Caldwell said. “There’s just great competition and competitiveness. My teammates made me better every day. I mean, at Northwestern, we’ve got to be great.”

In the long run, what can South Carolina fans expect from their newest weapon?

“I’m a hard-working receiver. I’ve got a dog mentality. You’re getting a dog,” Caldwell said.

Discuss South Carolina football recruiting on The Insiders Forum!