South Carolina Football: 4-star two-way player puts Gamecocks in top-3, sets commitment date

In recruiting, it is not uncommon to see a player valued highly at multiple positions. Typically these players are listed as “Athlete” on recruiting websites and are usually skill position players, athletic quarterbacks, or combination tight end/defensive end players. It is much rarer to see an offensive lineman valued highly at multiple positions, however, that is exactly what type of player South Carolina football is recruiting in Liam Andrews.

Andrews is considered a consensus 4-star interior offensive lineman, including being ranked in the top-101 in both On3 and 247Sports’ latest recruiting rankings. Andrews, though, has recently seemed firmly committed to playing on the other side of the ball at the next level.

A hybrid end/tackle when lined up on defense, Andrews is athletic and has quick feet. His background on the offensive line has afforded him an understanding of how to beat blockers, and his hands are elite as he looks to engage and then shed blockers.

For quite a while, Andrews’ recruitment has seemed to be down to three schools (South Carolina, Penn State, and Wisconsin) with the Gamecocks and Nittany Lions standing out the most. On Monday, Andrews made it official by naming his top-3 in an announcement on Twitter.

https://twitter.com/1iamandrews/status/1681092313315958787?s=20

With Andrews’ top-3 officially named as South Carolina, Penn State, and Wisconsin, he also revealed that he would be committing at the end of this week. Friday, July 21st is locked in as his commitment date.

South Carolina football fans are hopeful their favorite team can land the athletic lineman, but Penn State has made strong moves for Andrews in recent weeks. The Gamecocks are surely not out of it for Andrews, but the Nittany Lions will be tough to overcome.

Hailing from Massachusetts, Andrews would be closest to home with a pledge to Penn State, and new defensive line coach Deion Barnes has been a strong recruiter in his first months on the job at his alma mater. Andrews has been a priority for James Franklin’s team, just as he has been for Shane Beamer’s.

South Carolina football does not have any defensive linemen (tackles or ends) committed so far in the class of 2024. In addition to hoping for a commitment from Andrews on Friday, Elite 5-star EDGE Dylan Stewart appears to be deciding between the Gamecocks and the Ohio State Buckeyes, and the Gamecocks are among the leaders for 3-star defensive tackle D’Nas White. 4-star EDGE/tight end KingJoseph Edwards recently put Carolina in his top-3 as well.