South Carolina football is finishing up a massive recruiting weekend, and most of the prospects on campus are part of the class of 2025 (though, class of 2024 5-star EDGE Dylan Stewart and 4-star ATH Jalewis Solomon made it to campus, as well).
Starting the weekend early on Thursday, elite defensive back prospect Jontae Gilbert drove down I-20 from Atlanta for his third visit to Columbia since April. The Ohio State commitment has a good relationship with South Carolina football defensive backs coach Torrian Gray.
Now, that sentence can read “former Ohio State commitment” as Gilbert has taken back his long-time pledge to the Buckeyes. On Saturday, Gilbert made official a move that many in the recruiting industry have believed was inevitable, and the Gamecocks appear to be in the best position of any other program at this time.
As a player, Gilbert has some positional versatility in the secondary as he has played both safety and cornerback at a high level during the first two years of his high school career. With two more seasons left at the prep level, he may become more specialized to one spot, but it is unclear if Gray and defensive coordinator Clayton White have a preference regarding his future position.
A current 4-star prospect, Gilbert was originally rated as a 5-star before recruiting ranking updates were made. He is still a consensus top-50 prospect nationally and will be among the highest-rated players in any team’s recruiting class.
Gilbert also plays some wide receiver for his high school team at Frederick Douglass High School. He is not expected to play offense at the college level, but his experience on that side of the ball can only help as he looks to become the biggest enemy of other teams’ receivers.
You can watch some of his film here.