South Carolina Football: High-upside receiver names Gamecocks as a favorite

In the 2024 recruiting class, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer and his staff signed elite tight end prospect Michael Smith. Smith, a Savannah native, attended Calvary Day School and is, according to 247Sports, the highest-rated tight end ever to sign with the Gamecocks in the modern recruiting era.

Smith's class of 2025 teammate at Calvary Day, wide receiver Thomas Blackshear, has already named the Gamecocks a finalist for his services, one of six schools he distinguished as a favorite this past fall.

On Wednesday, yet another pass catcher from the Savannah-based private school announced his favorite schools as the Gamecocks made the cut for wide receiver Edward Coleman.

Coleman's top-6 includes South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Ohio State, Florida State, and Alabama (he did release this before news of Nick Saban's retirement hit, so his updated thoughts on the Crimson Tide are not known).

Though Coleman is just a 3-star prospect according to 247Sports and Rivals and is unranked by On3 and ESPN, his offer list indicates that he will be getting a recruiting ratings boost very soon. The 5'11" speedster boasts scholarship opportunities from some of the best programs in the country. In addition to his six favorites, he has been offered by Arkansas, Louisville, and Virginia Tech.

As a player, the appeal around Coleman is obvious: he is quick and has big-time acceleration, often seen on film splitting through two defenders who thought they had taken a good angle on him. His strong lower half allows him to bounce off would-be tacklers and made him a viable ball-carrying option out of the backfield for Calvary Day, as well.

Coleman operated both inside in the slot and as an outside receiver for Calvary Day, and his 0-60 ability made him a threat to go deep and to take short passes a long way after the catch. He was also dangerous on jet sweeps and swing passes, finding his way to big chunks of yardage around the edge.

You can watch some of his film here.