South Carolina Football: #WelcomeHome Offensive Lineman picks Carolina over Clemson, Auburn, Alabama

The 2024 recruiting momentum continues for the South Carolina football program. Already with four blue chip prospects in the boat for next year’s cycle, Rivals 4-star Blake Franks has picked the Gamecocks, as well. On Friday, the Greenville High School product chose South Carolina over offers from Clemson, Auburn, Alabama, Florida State, Florida, North Carolina, Miami, Penn State, and Ole Miss. His commitment was likely one of the two #WelcomeHome tweets sent out by Head Coach Shane Beamer last week.

Franks is a thick-bodied lineman who probably will play on the interior at the next level. A high school tackle, Franks has better pass-blocking technique than many other high school interior linemen, but he has a strong lower half that lets him dominate in the run game against prep competition. His prowess in the run game might be best shown in the fact that he recently received an offer from the University of Wisconsin, perennially known as one of the best run-blocking teams in the nation.

Franks, at 6’5″ and 310 pounds, has a “tweener” body. This gives him some versatility in case the Gamecocks need him to move to tackle. He does not have typical tackle length, but he shouldn’t be pigeonholed into being considered a guard or center only, even if that seems like his most likely destination. To be clear, Franks is likely a guard or center, but he is not incapable of playing outside.

After a spring practice update from Beamer, three veterans are expected to be the starters at guard and center this fall, so Franks will be inserted into a battle for playing time with other talented, young interior linemen like Markee Anderson, Trovon Baugh, Grayson Mains, and Ryan Brubaker.

With the Gamecocks already having high four-star tackle Kam Pringle in the fold in the 2024 class, and potential 5-star Josiah Thompson projected to pick the Gamecocks in less than two weeks, South Carolina football will have put together one of the best offensive line classes in the country. The 2023 class was also very good (three 4-stars with two on the interior), so the future up front is bright for new Offensive Line Coach Lonnie Teasley.

Franks’ commitment makes the Gamecocks 3-3 in the state of South Carolina so far, and with Josiah Thompson and 4-star safety Kelvin Hunter considered Gamecock leans, the program could go 5-5 on their in-state offers. It is unclear if Franks is set to enroll early at South Carolina or wait until the summer of 2024 to come on campus.