South Carolina football: Gamecocks making impact on midweek visitors

South Carolina football hosts another group of recruits.

Shane Beamer continues to put in work on the recruiting trail as he looks to build the South Carolina football roster. The Gamecocks has seen a handful of high-profile prospects visit Columbia this week ahead of a monster official visit weekend (more on that later this week!). Can coach Beamer and the Carolina coaching staff convince a few of these talented players to become part of the Gamecock program? Time will tell, but it’s refreshing to see a positive buzz surrounding the team.

Of the visitors, four are considered to be four-star prospects. On Monday, the Gamecocks saw four players drop in, which included Ramon Brown, Felix Hixon, Will Norman, and Abdul Carter.

Brown, a running back from the state of Virginia, stopped by to chat with coach Beamer and his staff. The ball carrier is considered to be a top 200 player, and the 20th best tailback in the country. As of now, it appears Penn State is his leader, and he’s also scheduled official visits with West Virginia, Maryland, and Virginia Tech, but the Gamecocks are in a good position. Landing another high-quality back would add to a backfield that already consists of Kevin Harris, MarShawn Lloyd, and ZaQuandre White. Brown would be a huge get for Shane Beamer in his first full recruiting cycle.

Also on campus Monday was Will Norman, a four-star defensive lineman in the class on ’23. Norman is considered to be the top player in the state of Connecticut, and already boasts offers from Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan State, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. Norman projects to be one of the top defenders in next year’s cycle, meaning competition could get stiff for the lineman’s services.

Another defensive lineman, Felix Hixon, was on campus alongside Norman and Brown. Hixon has already taken a visit to Wisconsin, and has officials lined up with Georgia Tech, Illinois, and Virginia. The three-star tackle has received crystal ball predictions to sign with either South Carolina or Virginia. This visit could have an impact on his decision.

Rounding out Monday’s group was linebacker Abdul Carter. Carter is another prospect from the Northeastern US, an area that coach Beamer has targeted heavily since stepping foot on campus. Rated as one of Pennsylvania’s top 10 prospects, the defender in rated by 24/7 Sports as the 315th best player in the nation. South Carolina is thin at linebacker, meaning Carter could see a path to early playing time.

On Tuesday, the Gamecocks got a visit from defensive lineman and four-star prospect Joel Starlings. Considered a top 150 player nationally, Starlings holds offers from Florida State, Georgia, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, and Texas A&M, among others. Another member of the ’23 cycle, he should continue to see his recruitment heat up as the offseason progresses.

South Carolina is targeting a ton of defensive talent as the cupboard was left pretty bare following the 2020 season. If the Gamecocks can get a few in the boat early, it could lead to some momentum on the trail. Coach Beamer is selling his vision to these incoming players. Hopefully, it’s one that they can see themselves becoming a part of.