Friday saw two South Carolina football targets announce their commitments. One, 4-star athlete/safety Kendall Daniels, Jr. pledged his services to the Gamecocks, while the other, 4-star offensive lineman Juan Gaston, stuck with the home-state Georgia Bulldogs.
Saturday was also a day with two priority USC targets making their college decisions. This afternoon, the first of the two announcements was made as 4-star offensive lineman Jaylen Gilchrist made his commitment.
Despite South Carolina football sitting on top of his list of favorites for the majority of his recruitment, the Salem, Virginia native elected to commit to the Maryland Terrapins.
The Gamecocks have just one offensive lineman committed in the class of 2025 as 4-star Palmetto State native Shed Sarratt revealed his pledge in June. Class of 2026 in-state prospect Anthony Baxter also is a Carolina commit.
Missing out on Gilchrist stings, and it is not just because the South Carolina football coaching staff felt good about landing him for months. The Gamecocks recruited very well on the line in the 2023 and 2024 cycles, but at this point, they will be hard-pressed to land a strong group of blockers in the '25 class. Sarratt is a good player, but the other top o-line targets on the USC board did not join him with a Gamecock commitment.
It is important to note that Gilchrist's decision appeared to be a tough one, and with his long-standing relationship with the South Carolina football staff, offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley and company surely will be pushing for a flip before Signing Day.
Later today, another blue chip prospect will announce his pledge. 5-star EDGE Jared Smith is in a similar position to Gilchrist. Smith had the Gamecocks at the top of his list for much of the process, but as his decision neared, he began leaning toward a more local team. The Auburn Tigers have been considered the recent favorite for Smith, but Carolina has kept things close enough to remain hopeful that they can pull off the shocker.