South Carolina Football: Gamecock commitment earns 4-star ranking

South Carolina football's third commitment of the 2025 recruiting class came in April as safety Damarcus Leach pledged his services to the Gamecocks. The Abbeville defensive back is a long, athletic, and aggressive safety prospect who wasn't rated too highly when he announced his decision to jump in the boat with USC.

However, there was plenty to like on Leach's film, and the Carolina coaching staff knew they'd found a hidden gem in the in-state prospect.

As the last two months have played out, though, Damarcus Leach is becoming less of a hidden gem and more of a known commodity in recruiting circles. In ESPN's recent update to the class of 2025 rankings, Leach was bumped up to a 4-star prospect.

Leach plays the game of football with a mean streak, coming down aggressively in run support, laying big hits on would-be receivers, and making plays on 50-50 balls in the air.

He is a big safety (already listed at 6'3" and 185 pounds), and he has experience lining up all over the defense for his Abbeville squad. Most of his snaps come on the back end at safety, but he gets a fair number of reps in the slot, and he even begins some plays in the box.

Because of his athleticism and his tackling ability, it wouldn't be a surprise to see the Gamecocks utilize Leach in a variety of ways, much like they do now with their three primary safeties, Nick Emmanwori, DQ Smith, and Jalon Kilgore.

Leach also plays basketball, and it would come as no surprise to anyone who has seen him play football that he is an aggressive (and sometimes overly physical) defender who can rebound and block shots like a player much larger than he is.

You can watch some of his film here.