South Carolina Football: State’s Mr. Football Signs with Gamecocks

The South Carolina Gamecocks have put together one of the 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 DT Xzavier McLeod, who signed with South Carolina during the Early Signing Period.

Position: DT (NT/3-technique DT)
Recruiting Ranking: Consensus 4 Stars; Under Armour All-American; South Carolina Mr. Football
Measurables: 6’4”; 325 pounds; 29-inch vertical; 405 pounds squat (as a junior)
Former Player Comp: Javon Kinlaw

Xzavier McLeod is a unicorn. If you’re unfamiliar with the term as it is used in the sports vernacular, it simply means that McLeod is or does something that is extremely rare. In basketball, this usually refers to big men who can also shoot the ball and move their feet on defense. In this case, McLeod—the Mr. Football award winner for the state of South Carolina—is a 325-pound monster who is also a plus athlete. McLeod had been silently committed to the Gamecocks for some time before making his commitment public during the Early Signing Period, and Gamecock fans everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that Head Coach Shane Beamer and his staff were able to keep him in-state.

Despite his enormous size, McLeod was not only a tackle in high school. He played significant time as a 3-4 defensive end, showing off impressive pursuit speed on runs to the edge and solid pass rushing acumen for such a large human being. Where ‘Zay makes his biggest impact on the game, though, is as a game-changing defensive tackle. On film, McLeod shows impressive get-off and burst off the line of scrimmage, and when an offensive player makes the reckless decision to try to slow him down, he uses his tremendous size and strength to blow up blockers, sometimes even destroying double teams. This is what Gamecock fans can expect from McLeod when he is at his best. However, like most kids his size, Xzavier will need to work on his conditioning and effort level in order to sustain a high level of play.

A recent success story from a player of a similar archetype to McLeod is Javon Kinlaw. While at South Carolina, Kinlaw worked tirelessly on his body, both in the weight room and with his nutrition to move from a reserve role to an all-SEC performer and first round NFL pick. McLeod is a similarly sized defensive tackle to a young Kinlaw and has shown Kinlaw-esque traits while rushing the passer and chasing down ball carriers. His natural hand instincts allow him to knock down the arms of offensive linemen and toss them aside, mere children in the way of a lion looking to eat.

The Gamecocks have a void to fill in the middle of their defense with Zacch Pickens declaring for the NFL draft. Boogie Huntley and Tonka Hemingway have contributed at tackle the past two seasons, but both players are entering their fourth year in the program. Defensive Line Coach Jimmy Lindsey and Defensive Coordinator Clayton White have high hopes for TJ Sanders and Nick Barrett at the position, but neither player is proven. Assuming he has an offseason dedicated to getting leaner while also gaining functional strength, McLeod will have every opportunity to compete for a rotation spot as a true freshman.