South Carolina Football: Gamecock defensive back target announces commitment

South Carolina football has struggled mightily on defense this season, including in the secondary. The Gamecocks need an influx of talent on the backend of the defense, and there are a number of targets USC is attempting to lure to Columbia.

The Gamecocks already have secured commitments from 4-star athlete/cornerback Jalewis Solomon, 4-star safety Kelvin Hunter, and 4-star cornerback Braydon Lee, but it is believed that South Carolina football hoped to bring in at least one more player in the secondary.

One of the remaining defensive back targets on the Carolina recruiting board is safety Kaleb Harris. The Alabama native was considered a lean to the Gamecocks earlier in his recruitment, but things had gotten quiet with Harris in recent months.

As it turned out, things got quiet because Harris’ recruitment was shifting toward a commitment to another program. On Monday, Harris announced his pledge to another SEC program.

Harris announced a “dream come true” commitment to Hugh Freeze and the Auburn Tigers with social media posts expressing his gratitude for the opportunity to play for his home state Auburn program.

The Gamecocks were the first major offer for Harris as Carolina extended the offer back in the spring of 2022. That early offer helped USC stay a major factor for a long portion of his recruitment, but the draw from in-state Auburn was too much for the talented defensive back.

South Carolina football is still in the running for several secondary players in the class, most notably elite athlete Kam Mikell who is expected to play defensive back in college. Georgia is believed to be the favorite to land the in-state prospect, and teams like Colorado and Tennessee have pushed for him recently. He is set to announce a commitment at the end of November.

The Gamecocks are also working to try to flip South Carolina native and Kentucky commitment Quaysheed Scott.