South Carolina football recruiting is always at its best when the Gamecocks bring in talented players from the Palmetto State. Despite being a smaller state (and being surrounded by massive talent-producing states like Georgia, North Carolina, and Florida that feed players to USC), South Carolina has produced a huge number of the very best players ever to wear garnet and black.
All-time greats like Jadeveon Clowney, Alshon Jeffery, Stephon Gilmore, DJ Swearinger, and Marcus Lattimore are just a handful of the modern examples of the state's top players staying home, but under current head coach Shane Beamer (who was an assistant when the Gamecocks landed the previous list of players), the South Carolina football program has gotten back to recruiting heavily its home-grown talented.
The 2024 preseason watch list for the in-state Mr. Football award was released recently by Movin' the Chains, and the list of 75 high school standouts is littered with Gamecock commitments and targets.
Class of 2025 South Carolina football recruiting commitments Cutter Woods (3-star quarterback, Westside High School), Anthony Addison (4-star EDGE, Sumter High School), Damarcus Leach (4-star safety, Abbeville High School), Jaquavious Dodd (4-star EDGE, Eastside High School), Jaquel Holman (4-star athlete; Blackville-Hilda High School), Jayden Sellers (3-star wide receiver, South Florence High School), and Shed Sarratt (4-star offensive lineman, Gaffney High School) all made the cut. Even South Carolina baseball commitment Cam Austin (unranked quarterback, Barnwell High School) is on the preseason watch list.
A couple of Gamecock targets are on the list, as well, as Jackson Repp (3-star wide receiver; Christ Chruch Episcopal School), Malik Clark (4-star wide receiver, Rock Hill High School), and Mikell Skinner (4-star tight end, Riverside High School) also are being pursued by the home-state program. Repp is uncommitted at this time, while Clark is pledged to Florida State and Skinner is committed to Cincinnati. Neither Clark nor Skinner have shut down their recruitments. and the Gamecocks are pursuing.
The Mr. Football award is given each year to the top high school player in the state. Last year's trophy went home with current South Carolina football freshman Josiah Thompson, a player who was a 5-star offensive line prospect at the time.