South Carolina football defensive backs coach Torrian Gray has a lot of talent in his room, especially at the safety position. Nick Emmanwori, DQ Smith, and Jalon Kilgore all have been named Freshman All-Americans at the end of the last two seasons as they've all split time between safety and nickel.
The 2024 season could be the final year those three players are all wearing garnet and black as both Emmanwori and Smith are draft-eligibile players. Emmanwori, in particular, could be a candidate to be taken in the 2025 NFL Draft if he elects to leave school. Kilgore would be draft-eligible in 2026, and based on his performance as a freshman, the draft seems like a realistic end for his junior season.
Because of the potential turnover at the position over the next two seasons, recruiting new talent to play safety in garnet and black must be a major priority for the Gamecocks. One of the top targets for USC at the position is Winston-Salem, North Carolina native JaDon Blair.
On Friday, the 4-star safety revealed his top-10 schools, and Gray and the Gamecocks made the cut.
NEWS: Four-Star Safety JaDon Blair is down to 🔟 Schools!
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) March 1, 2024
The 6’4 192 S from Winston Salem, NC is ranked as the No. 2 Safety in the ‘25 Class (per On3)
Where Should He Go?👇🏽https://t.co/0EqyM2RBBl pic.twitter.com/oQubx5oCKE
Blair's top-10 includes the South Carolina Gamecocks, Wake Forest Demon Deacons, Penn State Nittany Lions, Louisville Cardinals, Maryland Terrapins, Florida State Seminoles, Virginia Tech Hokies, Miami Hurricanes, Michigan Wolverines, and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
As a player, Blair possesses elite size for the safety position as he measures in at 6'4" and nearly 200 pounds. He is also considered a plus-athlete, something that jumps off the screen when watching his film. He moves fluidly all over the defense as he makes plays on the ball in the air and comes down as a helpful player in run support.
Blair has good ball skils when in coverage, and he is comfortable operating as a zone player and in man. His length and athleticism give him an advantage over most receivers when the ball is thrown, something that makes his future at the college level very intriguing.
You can watch some of his film here.