South Carolina football: Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins has made his decision

The South Carolina football team is trying to secure a pledge from the state’s top player.

Will Muschamp and Co. are just days away from their season opening matchup against Tennessee. The staff has been preparing since August for the contest, but that doesn’t mean that life on the recruiting trail has slowed down.

The Gamecocks are hoping to earn a commitment from the Palmetto State’s top high school prospect, Gaffney defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Ingram-Dawkins, a four-star recruit, is considered to be a top 100 player, as well as the nation’s fifth-best defensive tackle according to 247Sports.

Coach Muschamp has been pursuing Ingram-Dawkins for well over a year now, as he looks to lock down the state’s top-rated player for a third consecutive recruiting cycle. He may find out soon whether or not the pursuit has payed off.

Ingram-Dawkins has apparently made his college decision, and is in the process of setting an announcement date.

The Gamecocks have to feel pretty good about where things stand with the 6-foot-5 lineman. South Carolina has been a mainstay in Ingram-Dawkins’ schools of consideration, and the campus’s close proximity to his home town can’t hurt either.

In his most recent top four, Ingram-Dawkins named the Gamecocks, along with North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia as his schools of choice. Tennessee and South Carolina were considered to be the front runners at the time of the release, which was about three weeks ago. Alabama had also picked up some consideration, but they no longer seem to be a player in the recruitment.

Should the Gamecocks land Ingram-Dawkins’ pledge, the 2021 class would make a considerable jump in the rankings. The South Carolina class currently ranks 41st nationally, but a commitment from one of the country’s top players would push the Gamecocks up into the low 30s. Ingram-Dawkins would become South Carolina’s 17th commit, and the highest rated player in the class.