Several South Carolina football commits sit atop high school team rankings

Shane Beamer's Gamecocks have 8 players from the Palmetto State committed to play in Columbia. 7 of those pledges are in the class of 2025, meaning they are high school seniors and will be part of the South Carolina football team in less than a year's time. 1 in-state player in the 2026 cycle is committed, as well.

Some of these players are part of perennial powerhouse programs, others are pushing their teams to their best potential finish in years, and still others are on teams that don't have much other big-time talent.

Below are these 8 commitments and where their high school teams rank in the current South Carolina football high school rankings:*

*The rankings will come from the South Carolina Prep Football Media Preseason Poll and from the MaxPreps South Carolina High School Football Rankings, listed below as SC Media Poll and MaxPreps, respectively.

Shed Sarratt, 4-star Offensive Lineman
Gaffney High School; Gaffney High School

Shed Sarratt is considered a 4-star offensive line prospect by 247Sports and On3 and a 3-star recruit by ESPN and Rivals. He is rated as an offensive tackle by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals and as an interior offensive lineman by On3. He will help lead a strong Gaffney Indians squad that is ranked 2nd in 5A ball by the SC Media Poll (also receiving 3 1st place votes) and 6th overall in the Palmetto State by MaxPreps.

Jaquavious Dodd, 4-star EDGE
Eastside High School; Taylors, South Carolina

A 4-star recruit according to On3 and Rivals and a 3-star prospect in 247Sports' and ESPN's rankings, Jaquavious Dodd is a high-upside EDGE player who also spends some time at tight end on offense for his Eastside Eagles team. Eastside is not ranked in the SC Media Poll and is considered the 73rd-best team in the state by MaxPreps.

Jaquel Holman, 4-star Athlete
Blackville-Hilda High School; Blackville, South Carolina

Jaquel Holman recently earned 4-star status in On3's rankings and is a 3-star prospect according to 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals. He is an athlete and is rated as such by ESPN and Rivals. He is listed as a linebacker by On3 and as a running back on 247Sports. The Blackville-Hilda Hawks do-it-all playmaker is expected to begin his Gamecock career on defense as a safety or linebacker. He will be a driving force on a BHHS team that is ranked as the #6 team in 1A ball by the SC Media Poll and #80 across all classifications by MaxPreps.

Anthony Addison, 4-star EDGE
Sumter High School; Sumter, South Carolina

A current Sumter Gamecock, future South Carolina Gamecock defender Anthony Addison is a 4-star on Rivals and is considered a 3-star by On3, 247Sports, and ESPN. Addison could be a defensive end or linebacker (or a hybrid of the two) at USC, and he will look to get after the quarterback a lot for a Sumter team that is unranked by the SC Media Poll heading into the 2024 season and is 27th overall in the state according to MaxPreps.

Damarcus Leach, 4-star safety
Abbeville High School; Abbeville, South Carolina

Damarcus Leach is thought of as a 4-star safety by ESPN and is rated as a 3-star prospect by On3, 247Sports, and Rivals. His length and athleticism could allow him to play safety or corner in the Gamecock secondary. As often is the case, his Abbeville Panthers team is the top-ranked preseason team in 1A according to the SC Media Poll (earning all 17 1st-place votes), and despite being so much smaller than most other schools in the state, MaxPreps ranks Abbeville 31st, regardless of classification.

Cutter Woods, 3-star Quarterback
Westside High School; Anderson, South Carolina

A consensus 3-star player and top-45 national quarterback, Cutter Woods flipped to the Gamecocks from his original pledge to the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. A good athlete for the position, Woods is considered a dual-threat by some outlets and a pro-style quarterback by others. His Westside Rams squad is ranked as the unanimous #1 team in 4A by the SC Media Poll, receiving every 1st-place vote in the poll. They also are ranked as the 2nd-best team in the state by MaxPreps, regardless of size or division.

Jayden Sellers, 3-star Wide Receiver
South Florence High School; Florence, South Carolina

Jayden Sellers, the younger brother of Gamecock starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers, is a consensus 3-star player, but he is one recruiting point away from 4-star status in 247Sports' and ESPN's rankings. The speedy wideout was the first commitment in the 2025 class and is hoping to lead his South Florence Bruins team to their third state championship game appearance in a row. South Florence is ranked by the SC Media Poll as the #2 team in 4A, and MaxPreps slots them in as the #9 team in the state's overall rankings.

Anthony Baxter, 3-star Offensive Lineman (Class of 2026)
South Pointe High School; Rock Hill, South Carolina

A consensus 3-star interior offensive lineman, Anthony Baxter is one of three total South Carolina football commitments in the 2026 class and the lone one who hails from the Palmetto State. Playing his high school ball for the South Pointe Stallions, Baxter is one of the top players on a traditional power in Rock Hill, AKA "Football City, USA." Ranked as 4A's 4th-best team by the SC Media Poll and 14th overall in the state by MaxPreps, Baxter's South Pointe team is a state title contender again this fall.