South Carolina Football: Pass rusher from the DMV puts Gamecocks in top-6
By Kevin Miller
Under head coach Shane Beamer, the South Carolina football program appears set to establish a recruiting pipeline from the DMV (DC, Maryland, Northeast Virginia). The Gamecocks signed 5-star athlete Nyckoles Harbor, 4-star defensive end Desmond Umeozulu, Umeozulu’s high school teammate Mo Brown, 4-star offensive tackle Oluwatosin Babalade, and defensive back Zahbari Sandy from the area in the 2023 recruiting class and picked up a 2023 transfer from the area in offensive tackle Sidney Fugar.
In the 2024 class, 4-star cornerback Braydon Lee is a DMV kid, and recent decommitment Mike Williams is, as well. The Gamecocks are in hot pursuit of numerous other DMV prospects in the ’24 cycle, including #1-rated recruit Dylan Stewart.
Another big-time DMV kid interested in Carolina is defensive end Daniel “DD” Holmes. Holmes is a 4-star defensive end according to On3 who stands 6’6″ tall and is 245 pounds as a high school junior at Gonzaga College High School in Washington DC. On Wednesday, the talented pass rusher released a top-6 via Twitter.
BREAKING: Four-Star EDGE Daniel “DD” Holmes is down to 6️⃣ Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 24, 2023
The 6’6 245 EDGE from Washington DC is ranked as a Top 135 Player in the ‘24 Class.
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/SjKPBK5ZaW pic.twitter.com/TgmBNweHod
Holmes announced a top-6 that included South Carolina, Rutgers, Michigan, Maryland, Florida, and Florida State. His recruitment appears very open still as not much information has come out of Holmes’ camp regarding where he might be headed. Of all six finalists, his South Carolina offer appears to be his most recent offer. Rutgers, Maryland, Michigan, and Florida State have been involved with Holmes for a long time.
The Gamecocks have a significant need at EDGE, and adding a player like Holmes would certainly help fill that need. When Jordan Strachan exhausts his last bit of eligibility in 2023, the Gamecocks will be without any proven players at the position other than new Syracuse transfer Jatius Geer. 4-star Desmond Umeozulu will play this season and could prove himself ready to contribute, as well, but any freshmen defensive ends in the 2024 class will have an opportunity to play next season if they are ready.