The weekend hangover from South Carolina's loss to Oklahoma just keeps getting worse. The Gamecocks have officially lost the commitment of four-star in-state tight end Jamel Howse Jr., who announced the day after the game that he has reopened his recruitment. After more than a year being locked in with Shane Beamer and South Carolina, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Newberry native is ready to explore new options. He said specifically that he is seeking out an offense "where I can get the ball," according to The State's Jordan Kaye, who confirmed the news after speaking to Howse.
4-star TE Jamel Howse decommits from South Carolina.
— Jordan Kaye (@jordankaye_23) October 19, 2025
“I wanna go somewhere where I can get the ball,” he told The State
He took an OV to App State on Oct. 4 and will take another visit there in Nov. The Mountaineers HC is former USC OC Dowell Loggains.https://t.co/vQTJMQ2aEq
Ranked as the No. 12 tight end in the 2025 class and a Top-300 national prospect, Howse was the only tight end committed in South Carolina's class. His departure leaves a major hole in the Gamecocks' recruiting board at a position already thinning out after Michael Smith, a true sophomore, entered the Transfer Portal earlier this month.
Howse recently took a visit to Appalachian State, where he is expected to return next month. The Mountaineers are now led by former South Carolina offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains, a connection that add another twist to the story.
South Carolina's 2025 recruiting class currently ranks 21st nationally with 15 total commits, but the struggles on the offense this season, averaging 20.1 points per game overall and 13 in SEC play, aren't going unnoticed by recruits.
Whether this is an isolated situation or the start of a bigger problem heading toward early signing day remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain, if South Carolina doesn't find answers on the offense soon, they won't just be losing game. They will be losing talent, too.