South Carolina Football: Gamecocks finally extend offer to in-state 4-star receiver

The South Carolina football program has had some misfortune in recent years with high school players leaving the state without a Gamecock offer (or with an offer coming in way too late) and performing really well at the college level.

Players like Dutch Fork’s Jaylin Hyatt (Tennessee wide receiver, Biletnikoff Award winner in 2022) and Oceanside’s Sam Hartman (Wake Forest/Notre Dame quarterback, Heisman hopeful in 2023) are the two most high-profile examples of this trend.

On Wednesday, the South Carolina football coaching staff finally extended an offer to 4-star wide receiver Braylon Staley. The offer comes very late in the process, and Staley is already committed to Josh Heupel and the Tennessee Volunteers.

The Gamecocks hope that they were not too late in offering the speedy wideout like they were with Hyatt. Frankly, with the Gamecocks’ coming attrition at the position this offseason (at least four upperclassman receivers will be gone) and just one receiver (maybe two if Zy’marion Lang plays receiver) committed in the class of 2024, this offer should have been made long ago.

When Staley committed to Tennessee this summer, the Vols beat North Carolina and Clemson in landing him, but the Gamecocks had not yet offered. The new offer is intriguing for the in-state prospect, so fans should pay attention to his recruitment, but they should do so with caution as it is pretty late in the process.

As a player, Staley’s game is built on speed. The 6’0″ playmaker excells with the ball in his hands and seems to create angles in space that leave defenders in his dust. He is a solid route-runner and has good hands, but he is at his best after the catch.

The Gamecocks already flipped one Tennessee wide receiver commitment in the class of 2024 in Greenville High School’s Mazeo Bennett.

You can watch some of his film here.