South Carolina football: Gamecocks pursuing state’s top WR in ’22 and ’23 class

South Carolina football looking for help at WR.

Shane Beamer and the South Carolina football staff are after some of the Palmetto State’s top talent, staying in the mix for some highly touted high school prospects. The first-year head coach is particularly interested in adding depth to the roster’s most depleted position groups, which includes an unproven wide receiver room.

Last year, only one wideout on the Gamecocks’ roster recorded more than 115 yards receiving. That was Shi Smith, who’s now off to the NFL. With the team currently having no clear cut No. 1 option in the rotation, South Carolina is looking for immediate help.

Luckily, there could be a few answers right in South Carolina’s backyard.

Dutch Fork teammates Antonio Williams and Devin Hyatt have combined to make up one of the state’s most deadly pass catching duos at the high school level. Williams, a class of ’22 prospect, is the top wideout in the state, as well as a top 150 player nationally. Hyatt, a member of the ’23 cycle, is battling to earn a top 100 national rating.

Both could find themselves in South Carolina uniforms when all is said and done.

Is South Carolina football the favorite to land Williams?

Williams has been the top target in Shane Beamer’s ’22 cycle. He hits a position of need and could help the Gamecocks start a pipeline with one of the area’s most successful high school programs. Williams was on campus last weekend, and he seems to have the Gamecocks at the top of his list.

24/7 Sports has placed two crystal ball predictions for the talented wideout, both of which have gone in favor of South Carolina. Williams does, however, hold offers from Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Southern Cal, and more, meaning his recruitment is far from over.

Should the Gamecocks land his services, they’d see their recruiting class jump from 41st to 27th, just ahead of archrival Clemson. He’d be the top player in the cycle, just beating out four-star signal caller Braden Davis. A commitment could also help with the recruitment of Hyatt, who may be a bit harder for the Gamecocks to reel in.

Will Hyatt follow his teammate, his brother, or take his own route?

Devin Hyatt is already receiving a ton of attention on the recruiting trail, boasting offers from Alabama, Florida State, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia Tech.

The Gamecocks can offer close proximity and the ability to play in front of friends and family on a weekly basis. The new coaching staff is making it known that he’s a priority, keeping in very close contact with the Irmo native. He hasn’t given intel on his top group of schools as of now, but South Carolina figures to stay in the game for the long haul.

While the Gamecocks represent an opportunity for the pass catcher to represent his home state, Tennessee can give Hyatt the chance to play with his brother, Jalin, who just finished up his freshman season in Knoxville.

Both South Carolina and Tennessee can offer early playing time, with the Gamecocks’ wideout roster being a bit thinner than the Vols’ current lineup. But it won’t be a battle between just those two programs. Georgia will be right in the thick of things when all is said and done, and the receiver has recently set up trip to Tuscaloosa to see Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide, too.

This one likely won’t end anytime soon, but if the Gamecocks can secure a commitment from Hyatt, the wideout room could flip in a hurry.