South Carolina football: Gunner Stockton to take on five-star passer Friday

South Carolina football commit Gunner Stockton will play on ESPNU this Friday.

The South Carolina football season doesn’t start for another couple of weeks, when the Gamecocks take on Tennessee in Williams-Brice Stadium on September 26th. But fans can get a sneak peak to the future of the program this Friday when Rabun County High School takes on Prince Avenue Christian School.

The matchup will be one between two of the nation’s top signal callers for the next two recruiting cycles. South Carolina commit and five-star passer Gunner Stockton will take on Georgia Bulldog pledge Brock Vandagriff in the showdown of gunslingers.

Both players have been tabbed as top 25 prospects nationally by 247Sports, with Stockton considered as the country’s top dual threat quarterback in the class of ‘22, and Vandagriff being rated as the 13th best player overall, and the second-best dual threat passer in ’21.

The high schools both rank among the top in their respective classifications, with each getting off to a 1-0 start to the season last week. In his first game, Vandagriff led Prince Avenue Christian to a 42-7 victory over Calvary Day. The senior threw for 246 yards, ran for 93, and accounted for six touchdowns (4 pass, 2 rush).

Stockton and Rabun County defeated Ridgeland 35-0 last Friday. The junior threw for 153 yards, ran for 81, and accounted for four touchdowns (3 pass, 1 rush).

Stockton committed to the Gamecocks over the Bulldogs last month, noting his close relationships with members of the South Carolina coaching staff. The Stockton family is close with both the Bobos (Mike is the Gamecocks’ offensive coordinator) and the Shaws (Connor is in charge of player development).

Over his first two high school seasons, Stockton has thrown for 6,390 yards and 77 touchdowns, while also adding 1,835 yards and another 36 scores on the ground.

This should be a fun one to watch, and could end up being a matchup we see in the SEC over the next few seasons. We’ll see who earns the initial bragging rights on Friday. The contest is scheduled to take place on ESPNU at 8 PM.