South Carolina football: Anthony Rose announces decommitment

South Carolina football has lost one of the top prospects in the ’22 class.

The South Carolina football program has lost one of the top players in its 2022 recruiting class, as four-star safety Anthony Rose from Hallandale High School has announced his intention to decommit and re-open his recruitment. Rose was the second-highest rated player in the four man class, which now falls to three commitments following the announcement.

Rose was rated by Rivals as 20th best safety prospect in the nation. Committing back in February, he had been the first player to pledge to play for Shane Beamer. He chose the Gamecocks over offers from Arizona, Arizona State, LSU, Michigan, Mississippi State, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. It’s not yet known where the defensive back will be going, but it is worth noting that two of his high school teammates, Alfonzo Allen and Jaylin Marshall, are committed to play at Arizona State.

The news is unpleasant considering South Carolina’s lack of depth in the secondary. The Gamecocks lost their top five defensive backs from last year’s roster through either transfer or the NFL Draft.

There could be help on the way, as the Gamecocks have lined up official visits with four-star cornerback Keenan Nelson, Jr. and three-star safety Jyvonte Mcclendon. Nelson will visit at the end of June, and it appears South Carolina’s top competition is Penn State. Mcclendon will take the trip to Columbia on June 11th. South Carolina is his only scheduled visit, though the hometown Florida Gators could pose a threat. Landing either of these prospects would be huge, but it doesn’t erase the loss of Rose.

With the decommitment, South Carolina’s class drops from 37th to 43rd in the nation. Shane Beamer and Co. will look to improve upon that standing as the offseason rolls on.