South Carolina football: Gamecocks land two commitments over the weekend
By Jacob Elsey
The South Carolina football team got 2 big commitments this weekend.
Shane Beamer and the South Carolina football staff had a big weekend on the recruiting trail, landing commitments from two highly rated prospects. Both players will provide quality depth, with one possibly becoming an immediate contributor in the secondary.
The first domino to fall was the pledge of four-star quarterback Braden Davis, who chose the Gamecocks over finalists Cincinnati, Duke, Georgia Tech, NC State, Stanford, and West Virginia. Davis is the top player in the state of Delaware, and is viewed by Rivals to be the 14th best pocket passer in the class of 2022.
With the commitment, the Gamecocks’ class jumped from 59th to 41st, as Davis joins fellow pledges Anthony Rose and Grayson Mains. He’s the lone quarterback in the bunch, and should have an opportunity to compete early with South Carolina having just three scholarship players at the position.
While Davis’s commitment was anticipated, the Gamecocks also got a surprise pledge from a West Coast transfer. Defensive back Tyrese Ross announced his intentions to leave the Washington State program and join coach Beamer in Columbia. Ross, a three-star safety in the class of 2018, played two seasons with the Cougars. He saw action in 10 games as a freshman, amassing 33 tackles and a forced fumble, but opted to sit out of the 2020 season after just one game.
Ross’s commitment adds immediate depth and experience to a defensive backfield that hasn’t seen much production. Starting corners Jaycee Horn and Israel Mukuamu are off to the NFL after being drafted over the weekend, while safeties Jammie Robinson and Shilo Sanders transferred out of the program following Will Muschamp’s firing. All in all, the Gamecocks lost their top five members of the secondary this past offseason, meaning Ross’s commitment is a welcomed announcement.
These two players are big gets for the Gamecocks and Shane Beamer. It’s always key to secure a quality signal caller, and while Ross’s commitment doesn’t affect the recruiting rankings, he provides an immediate contributor at a position of need. Expect to hear these two names often over the next few years of South Carolina football.