The South Carolina football program has put together one of their top recruiting classes in recent years for the 2023 recruiting cycle. While the recruiting rankings are ever-changing, according to industry leaders on3 and 247Sports, Shane Beamer and company have found themselves firmly inside the top-20 since the Early Signing Period ended.
One of the players in this class is OL Trovon Baugh, who signed with South Carolina during the Early Signing Period.
Position: OL (G/T)
Recruiting Ranking: 4 Stars (on3, ESPN); 3 Stars (247, Rivals); Under Armour All-American
Measurables: 6’4”; 315 pounds; 83-inch wingspan; 5.3 second short shuttle
Former Player Comp: Rokevious Watkins
Trovon Baugh was one of the first commitments for Head Coach Shane Beamer’s 2023 recruiting class. Just like fellow offensive line signee Markee Anderson, Baugh played both guard and tackle in high school. While he is expected to play on the interior, Baugh’s length (83-inch wingspan and 6’4” frame) could make possible a move to tackle. He’s a solid athlete who has the mobility to pull as a guard or block in space as a tackle in pass protection.
When watching Baugh’s film, one will notice his strong lower half. When engaged with a defender, Baugh does not lose. He excels at keeping his feet driving and sinking his hips to create lift on would-be tacklers. Trovon’s aggressive nature on the field causes him to be a block finisher who often ends up on top of a defeated defensive player, looking to hop up and find another unfortunate soul to upend.
Baugh will likely be a bit of a developmental project while at South Carolina, but his potential ceiling is extremely high. Athletic big men who can play inside and outside on the line are not easy to find, so new Offensive Line Coach Lonnie Teasley will have a versatile piece to play with as he puts together his offensive line puzzle of the future. While Baugh is a developmental player out of the high school ranks, former junior college player and eventual Gamecock standout Rokevious Watkins profiled similarly to Baugh. At South Carolina, Watkins played as both a guard and a tackle and eventually made his way onto an NFL roster. Baugh, if developed well, could reach the same level of success.
Gamecock fans, give Trovon Baugh some time to work with Strength Coach Luke Day, Football Nutrition Director Kristin Coggin, and their staffs, and he may turn into the next NFL offensive lineman to come out of Columbia.