Shane Beamer and the South Carolina football coaching staff continue to stack the trenches for 2026. Kamari "Cannonball" Blair, a 6-foot-6, 280-pound powerhouse of an offensive tackle from Kirkwood High School in Clarksville, Tennessee, announced his commitment to South Carolina on Wednesday night. Blair chose the Gamecocks over fellow SEC programs Ole Miss and Tennessee.
Blair is rated the No. 274 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 22 OT in the Class of 2026, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings. His commitment is a major win on the recruiting trail for offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley, who built a strong connection with Blair throughout the recruiting process. Coach Teasley's coaching style is what made a lasting impression on the massive lineman.
“Coach Teasley, he’s more of a teacher than a screamer,” Blair said on an unofficial visit to Columbia. “Even in spring practices, he made sure guys understood what they were doing, not just yelling at them and not fixing their mistakes.”
Blair later returned for an official visit with the Gamecocks during the weekend of June 6, where he expressed how South Carolina felt like home. “The connection with the players can’t be matched. Coach Beamer even makes the players know everybody’s name,” he told GamecockCentral.com. “A couple of the players said they were sitting in meetings and Coach Beamer called them out and made them name everyone in a row. That’s a lot different than other places in the country. The family, the brotherhood, is just beautiful.”
The four-star prospect had an impressive and lengthy offer list that included programs like Florida State, Missouri, North Carolina, Penn State, and Wisconsin, among others. In the end, it was the culture at South Carolina, the coaching staff, and the family atmosphere that won overall. Blair's commitment gives the Gamecocks another big, athletic piece for the future offensive line.