South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer announced a commitment to the Gamecocks on Sunday, and a few hours later, offensive lineman Aaryn Parks (Oklahoma) announced that he was the newest Gamecock pledge.
The former 4-star offensive lineman will compete for a role in the 2-deep with Carolina this spring and profiles as a player who could work out on the interior of the offensive line or outside at tackle.
However, shortly after Parks' announcement, Shane Beamer came out with yet another commitment teaser.
Not Done Yet Today ….
— Shane Beamer (@CoachSBeamer) January 7, 2024
Waiting on our 7 pm Team Meeting and our TEAM just got better ….For the 2nd time this afternoon #WelcomeHome 🤙🏻 pic.twitter.com/v4Rr4hAyf7
Beamer's message mirrored the recent ones dedicated to transfer portal commitments as it had the typical #WelcomeHome hashtag but no other clues or hints as to the player's identity.
According to a report from TheBigSpur's Hale McGranahan, Alabama defensive line transfer Monkell Goodwine was the second #WelcomeHome, something that the big defensive lineman has confirmed on social media. Goodwine primarily has played defensive tackle in his career, but at 6'3" and 290 pounds, he could play a big defensive end role in the 3-3-5 if the Gamecocks stick with the formation.
Another DMV prospect (DC, Delaware, Maryland, northeast Virginia), Goodwine is a rising redshirt junior, meaning he has up to two more years of eligibility remaining. A former consensus 4-star prospect, he was ranked as high as the 37th-best prospect in the country by Rivals but got trapped behind a lot of other talented players in the Crimson Tide defensive line room.
This spring, Goodwine will compete with a long list of veteran defensive tackles for playing time up front. TJ Sanders, Tonka Hemingway, and Boogie Huntley announced their returns to the program earlier this offseason, and Deandre Jules and Jerome Simmons have already signed as transfers (from Pittsburgh and Highland Community College, respectively). Big Nick Barrett and Jamaal Whyce are still on the roster, as well. All of those players are in their third year of college or later.