Of all the positions of the South Carolina football roster that need an influx of young talent, defense tackle needs it the most.
Barring an unforeseen redshirt, the Gamecocks only have one defensive tackle on scholarship who has more than two years of college eligibility remaining. Versatile, athletic tackle Caleb Williams (a 4-star prospect out of Virginia) has already committed to the Gamecocks in the class of 2025, but USC will need to bring in at least one more tackle to help fill out the roster, preferably one who has enough size to play nose.
Carolina has been involved with several interior defensive linemen this cycle, and one of them appears ready to shut down his recruitment.
Bryce Jenkins, a former teammate and friend of current Gamecock 5-star freshman Dylan Stewart, named the South Carolina football program among his top-4 schools. He also went ahead and announced that he will make his college decision public next Saturday, July 6th.
Commitment date July 6th pic.twitter.com/DRrfhPD97i
— bryce Jenkins (@bdj215) June 29, 2024
Jenkins' top-4 includes the South Carolina Gamecocks, Tennessee Volunteers, Maryland Terrapins, and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Maryland was believed to be the heavy favorite for a good portion of his recruitment, but Shane Beamer's team has made a push to try to land his commitment.
As a player, Jenkins is a 4-star prospect according to On3, ESPN, and Rivals, and the big fella is listed at 6'4"/6'5" and between 315 and 335 pounds. A true nose tackle, he has enough size and strength to plug up the middle of the battle on the line of scrimmage, but he is an underrated athlete who moves better than a person his size should have any business moving.
Jenkins took a visit to Columbia earlier this June, and the Gamecocks made a strong impression. He does have some experience playing on the offensive line, as well, but he is expected to be a defensive tackle at the college level.
You can watch some of his film here.