South Carolina football: Jalen Brooks to transfer to Gamecocks

The South Carolina football team added a transfer wide receiver to the roster over the weekend.

The Gamecocks picked up a wide receiver on Saturday, as rising junior Jalen Brooks announced his intent to join the South Carolina roster after spending his first two seasons at Wingate. It’s not yet known whether he’ll be immediately eligible, as the NCAA must still conduct its transfer review process. The Gamecocks offered a scholarship to the receiver late last week.

He announced his decision via Twitter.

"God is undefeated!! I would not be able to make this commitment without God, my family, my coaches, my teammates, the people I work out with, and the work that I put into everything! Huge shoutout to my family especially my Mom!! Huge shoutout to Coach Seidel for making this happen and having faith in me and always being in my corner!! Huge shoutout to Coach Poole for crafting my game and helping me be the best player I can be in every situation, also for having so much faith in me!! Huge thank you to Coach JT for always helping me fix the little things and pushing me to do better!! Huge shoutout to Anthony Boone for surrounding me around multiple guys on the next level which helped fix many things in my game to be a better player!! Thank you to my past Coaches/Teammate at Wingate University and Tarleton State University!! Furthermore, I will be committing to The University of South Carolina #Go #Gamecocks #1of1 #AGTG-Jalen Brooks"

In his freshman and sophomore seasons with the Bulldogs, Brooks hauled in 50 passes for a total of 998 yards and nine touchdowns. He actually transferred to Tarleton State University in January, but decided to move on before ever playing a down for the Texans, citing the need to be closer to home. Brooks, a native of Harrisburg, NC, played his high school career at Hickory Ridge.

Last season was Brooks’ most productive, as he reeled in 35 receptions for more than 750 yards, posting an incredible 21.5 yards per catch. He caught two or more receptions in each of the Bulldogs’ 12 games, and notched three 100-yd performances. The sophomore earned first-team all-conference honors following the season’s end.

Brooks joins a South Carolina wide receiver room that’s lacking production and experience. Senior Shi Smith will take over as the No. 1 option, but not much is settled beyond that point. The hope is that Brooks can play this fall, which could provide the Gamecocks with another solid starting wideout.