South Carolina Football welcomed elite offensive lineman to campus again this weekend

This weekend, South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer and his coaching staff welcomed some big-time recruits to Columbia for visits to check out the Gamecock program. One of those big-name prospects was major USC target Jaylen Gilchrist, who was back in town for another visit to check out one of his favorite programs.

Jaylen Gilchrist is an elite offensive line recruit in the 2025 recruiting class. Hailing from Salem, Virginia, Gilchrist is a consensus 4-star prospect, and he is ranked as high as 64th in the country (247Sports) and is the top-rated interior offensive lineman in the country according to On3.

At 6'4" and about 300 pounds, Gilchrist could end up on the interior of the offensive line like On3's scouts believe, but he is rated as a tackle by 247Sports, ESPN, and Rivals. He has spent most of his high school career working at tackle and was an All-State player in 2023.

As a player, Gilchrist is a monster in the run game. Opponents who have the misfortune of getting in his way end up on their backs and/or driven back into the second level of the defense on almost every snap. When blocking in space or on pulls around the outside, defenders might as well jump out of the way of the big man as competing with a momentum-fueled Gilchrist is a losing effort.

As a pass blocker, he has some work to do with his technique, but his strong lower half and heavy hands allow him to stonewall most players trying to get to his quarterback. He is also a plus-athlete for a player his size, so he should adapt well to college coaching and develop into a good pass protector at the next level.

As of this writing, the only class of 2025 commitment for the South Carolina football program is Jayden Sellers, the younger brother of expected Gamecock starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

You can watch some of his film here.