The rest of this summer will be a whirlwind of recruiting news for the South Carolina football program.
After a June that was loaded with commitments and official visits (sometimes happening at the same time), July and August are full of Gamecock recruiting targets announcing their college decisions. Some have already happened (USC just landed a commitment from 4-star wide receiver Lex Cyrus on Thursday), and a bunch more are set to take place over the next month or so as rising high school seniors aim to finish their recruitments ahead of their final prep seasons.
One prospect who has every South Carolina football fan's eye is 5-star Jared Smith. A 6'6", 235-pound EDGE from the state of Alabama, Smith has had the Gamecocks near the top of his list of favorites for a long time. Late on Thursday, the elite pass rusher announced that he was nearing his decision date.
Where’s 🏠❓ https://t.co/riB6LSo1E0
— Jared Smith (@jdotsmith_8) July 12, 2024
With his reveal of an August 3rd commitment date, Smith also revealed his top-6 schools. The South Carolina Gamecocks, Auburn Tigers, Florida State Seminoles, Southern Cal Trojans, Ole Miss Rebels, and Georgia Bulldogs are his finalists. There seems to be a clear top-2 between the Gamecocks and Tigers, but there is still three weeks before his announcement, so things can shift.
As a player, Smith has almost unlimited potential. Elite length and athleticism are easy to see just by looking at him, but he has produced well on the field, too. Smith has been a terror for offenses to deal with since his freshman year, and he hasn't met an offensive tackle who can block him with any consistency.
Smith can play with his hand on the ground at defensive end or as a stand-up EDGE, and that versatility could be useful in a multiple-look defensive scheme like the one the Gamecocks began using in 2023.
Smith also plays some tight end, but his future at the college level is as an EDGE player.
You can watch some of his film here.