4-star South Carolina football flip target announces decommitment ahead of USC visit

South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer and his staff have been working on flipping 4-star tight end/wide receiver Mikkel Skinner from his pledge to the Cincinnati Bearcats. While no news has come about a follow-up commitment, Friday afternoon saw Skinner announce that he was backing off of commitment to the Bearcats.

Skinner, who is a Riverside High School product from Greer, had been committed to Cincinnati since June, but both the Kentucky Wildcats and South Carolina Gamecocks have been in hot pursuit of a flip from the class of 2025 talent.

The Palmetto State native is a hybrid tight end and wide receiver who can provide a college program with size (6'3" and 220 pounds) and athleticism as a pass-catcher. He is rated as a 4-star tight end by On3, 247Sports, and ESPN and as a 3-star wide receiver by Rivals. Skinner has played some running back, too, but his college future likely is as an athletic, pass-catching tight end of a big-bodied possession receiver.

The Gamecocks have been interested in Skinner for a while, but a scholarship offer didn't come through until July. Even so, South Carolina has a real chance to earn his commitment. After visiting Columbia for the season opener, Skinner was in Lexington last week for USC-UK, and he will be back at Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend for the College GameDay matchup between Carolina and LSU as part of a huge recruiting weekend for the South Carolina football program.

As a player, Skinner is a matchup nightmare. Defensive backs usually are too small to cover his size. Linebackers usually are too slow to cover his speed. If used correctly, he can become a highly productive player at the next level. He shares a lot of traits with former Gamecock Jaheim Bell, a player who finished his career with the Florida State Seminoles before being drafted by the New England Patriots.

Like so many good receivers and tight ends, Skinner is a good basketball player who played on the wing for a Riverside team that made it to the State Championship Game during his junior season. Skinner is strong and can high-point the ball in the air, traits that seem to follow prospects who play both football and basketball.

You can watch some of his film here.