The Early Signing Period for college football began on Wednesday, and National Letters of Intent have been flying in from all over the country. While most of those NLIs are not sent in via fax machine anymore, commitments are not official until paperwork is completed. The South Carolina football program is hoping to have most of their class secured by the end of the Early Signing Period.
One of the players in the class who made things official is 3-star transfer portal tight end Brady Hunt.
Welcome home, @Brady_Hunt! pic.twitter.com/3nrgpusijY
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) December 20, 2023
Position: TE
Recruiting Ranking: 3 stars (On3, 247Sports)
Measurables: 6'6"; 250 pounds; 4.7-second 40-yard dash
Former Player Comp: Kyle Markway
Brady Hunt wasn't a highly-rated transfer portal player, but he should have been. The former Ball State Cardinal was a Freshman All-American in 2022 as he racked up more receiving yards than any Gamecock tight end since Hayden Hurst in 2017.
A former high school quarterback, Hunt has a high football IQ and understands how to get open against multiple defenses. He redshirted in 2021 before moving to tight end at Ball State and took to the position early. Unfortunately, he missed the 2023 season with an injury to his ankle, but if he is healthy enough to return to form, he will be a really nice compliment to Gamecock veteran Josh Simon.
As a player, Hunt may remind South Carolina football fans of Kyle Markway, a tight end who could both block and catch the football. Markway wasn't quite as dynamic of an athlete as Hunt, meaning that the new USC signee could end up being even better than his predecessor.
Early playing time is available for Brady Hunt to claim for the 2024 Gamecocks. Josh Simon will start, but Brady Hunt could be the next-best player in the tight end room. The other guys at the position are inexperienced, leaving the door open for Hunt to jump them on the depth chart.
You can watch some of his film here.