South Carolina football offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley is a good recruiter. Heading into his second official year at the position (he filled in for former OL coach Greg Adkins in both 2021 and 2022 when the latter dealt with health issues), he has secured commitments from four offensive linemen rated as 4-star prospects or better by a major recruiting outlet.
So far in the class of 2025, Gaffney High School product Shed Sarratt is the only offensive lineman committed to the Gamecocks, but Teasley has USC in the conversation with several other big-time talents in the trenches.
Arguably the biggest of these targets (literally) is Georgia native Juan Gaston. Gaston, who stands 6'8" and weighs 360 pounds, made news on Tuesday by trimming his list of top schools from 8 to 4 (South Carolina Gamecocks, Georgia Bulldogs, Tennessee Volunteers, and Oregon Ducks) and revealed that he would be making his college decision on August 2nd.
Gaston has been heavily interested in the South Carolina football program, but the home-state Georgia Bulldogs appear to be the current favorite in his recruitment. With about a month to go before his announcement, the Gamecocks hope to turn the tide back in their favor.
Gaston is a consensus 4-star prospect at offensive tackle (though, for some reason, he is rated as an interior lineman by On3) and is ranked in the top-100 nationally by ESPN.
As a player, he has unlimited potential as a tackle who can pass block with the best of them and who has plenty of "want-to" in the run game, as well. He doesn't have the quickest feet as he gets into his pass protection drops, but he takes the right steps, and his strength and length are elite as he sets his anchor and stops pass rushers in their tracks. While he isn't quick, he runs well in a straight line, a trait that makes him a dangerous pull player and a potential one-man wrecking crew if he gets out in front of a screen or other open-field play.
You can watch some of his film here.