Over the last year, the South Carolina football program has put itself into some big-time recruiting battles. The sheer number of 4-star and 5-star players that are interested in the University of South Carolina has grown almost exponentially from the time Shane Beamer took the job as head coach after the 2020 season, and the up-and-coming Gamecocks are also landing their fair share. One of these interested blue chip prospects is the athletic Jamonta Waller.
Waller is an elite prospect from Mississippi whose recruitment appears wide open. The big-time player is considered a 5-star by 247Sports and ESPN and is a 4-star recruit according to On3 and Rivals. He is rated as an EDGE prospect, but some in the industry question his future position due to his size. Somewhere between 6’0,” 220 pounds and 6’2″, 230 pounds, Waller is not the prototypical size for an EDGE player and could move to linebacker or another position. His natural talent and athletic ability will likely translate to another spot with ease.
On Saturday, the uber-talented Waller announced his top-10 schools.
BREAKING: Elite 2024 LB Jamonta Waller is down to 🔟 Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 13, 2023
The 6’2 230 LB from Picayune, MS is ranked as a Top 80 Player in the ‘24 Class
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/Y66VWatysK pic.twitter.com/lGCvGvhHPq
South Carolina football made the cut, and the nine other schools in Waller’s top-10 include a who’s-who of football in the southeast. The list is made up of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Florida Gators, Auburn Tigers, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Ole Miss Rebels, Texas A&M Aggies, and Penn State Nittany Lions.
Penn State sticks out from the group as being far away from Waller geographically, and the two Mississippi programs are factors for obvious reasons. South Carolina and the rest of the top-10 seem to be in the game, as well, as Waller has not given much insight into his recruitment. According to On3’s Recruiting Prediction Machine, Ole Miss is a strong favorite at this point, but Waller is only recently deciding on his official visit schedule. The Gamecocks are hopeful to bring Waller to campus, increasing their chances of landing the talented athlete.