South Carolina Football: Gamecocks are finalists for intriguing receiver with elite offer list

Calvary Day School in Savannah, Georgia is the high school home of South Carolina football commitment Michael Smith, a 4-star tight end in the class of 2024 who has been committed to the program since the early parts of 2023.

In addition to Smith, the school boasts some impressive talent who also will play at the next level. One of the most intriguing prospects on the team is class of 2025 wide receiver Thomas Blackshear who transferred in this fall from Benedictine High School.

South Carolina football has a big need at wide receiver with at least four senior contributors graduating after the 2023 season, including stars Juice Wells and Xavier Legette.

Blackshear is only a 3-star recruit according to both On3 and 247Sports, but he boasts an impressive list of offers that includes some of the nation’s biggest college football programs. He has offers from South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Auburn, Florida State, Tennessee, Colorado, and a number of other schools.

On Wednesday, the 6’0″ playmaker released his final six schools, and the Gamecocks made the cut.

In a short video posted to his personal Twitter (x..?) account, Blackshear revealed that the South Carolina football program was joined by the Georgia Bulldogs, Colorado Buffaloes, Tennessee Volunteers, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Florida State Seminoles.

As a player, Blackshear has projectable speed as his natural athleticism and fluid movements should continue to shave time off of his 40-yard dash time. He also has very good body control with the ball in his hands, allowing him to break through weak tackle attempts with good lower-body strength and an excellent one-cut-and-go ability.

At the high school level, he has been an after-the-catch master, being utilized in the screen game and running short routes, but he seems to have the type of speed that will allow him to play a role in downfield passing concepts, as well.

At this point in his recruitment, it is unclear if Michael Smith’s influence could play a role in Blackshear’s decision-making, but it can’t hurt the Gamecocks’ chances of holding off the in-state Bulldogs and the other big-time programs that are vying for his services.

You can watch some of his film here.