South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer brought a familiar name home to the Gamecock coaching staff this offseason. Former offensive line coach (and interim head coach) Shawn Elliott left his head coaching position with the Georgia State Panthers to return to USC as the team's tight ends coach and run game coordinator, the latter being a title he held during his first tenure in garnet and black under head coach Steve Spurrier.
Elliott brings intensity and some run-game expertise to the table as a coach, and Gamecock fans are glad he is back with the South Carolina football program. However, Elliott is also a good recruiter who gets the opportunity to "sell" recruits on the school and football team that he loves, meaning fans should expect some good players to keep rolling through the Carolina tight end room.
On Wednesday, Elliott showed he is making solid recruiting in-roads in the class of 2025 as Buford, Georgia native Hayden Bradley announced his top-5 schools.
AND THEN THERE WAS 5‼️ AGTG🙏🏼@CoachSBeamer @Coach_SMoore @Lane_Kiffin @coach_bnapier @coachjfranklin @Coach_Davis22 @buford_football @CoachDash @JohnGarcia_Jr @RivalsFriedman @adamgorney @ChadSimmons_ @LemmingReport @AnnaH247 @Rivals @On3Recruits @247recruiting pic.twitter.com/zjKLT0j4u9
— Hayden Bradley (@Hayden_bradleyy) April 24, 2024
Bradley's top-5 included the South Carolina Gamecocks, Michigan Wolverines, Penn State Nittany Lions, Florida Gators, and Ole Miss Rebels.
Despite being a 3-star prospect, Bradley's impressive offer list shows he is a player with big-time potential.
As a player, Bradley is an athletic tight end who can do a little bit of everything. He is a willing blocker who drives his feet well once engaged, something that is not always true of high school tight ends. If he were to play under Shawn Elliott, that is a trait that surely would be improved upon thanks to Elliott's emphasis on toughness and background as an offensive line coach. On film, he even shows some decent chops as a pass blocker, something that could come in handy if he is utilized as a wing or an H-back.
Where he is at his best, though, is as a pass-catcher. Standing 6'4"/6'5" and weighing 220 pounds, Bradley is a good jump ball player, but he also has enough speed and quickness to make defenses pay after he finds soft spots in coverage. He can operate in-line or split out wide, and he spent time in his high school system working as an extra blocker as an H-back, as well.
Bradley is set to announce his commitment over the weekend.
You can watch some of his film here.