South Carolina football defensive back coach has two 4-star prospects committed in the class of 2025 as cornerback Shamari Earls and safety Damarcus Leach were among the first pledges in the class this spring.
The Gamecocks aren't done recruiting in the secondary, though, and they are involved with several other elite high school defensive backs. One of these players is Georgia native Lagonza Hayward.
Recently, Hayward announced that he has a commitment date in mind, and his top-7 schools are all still in the running. He will announce which of those seven schools have won the battle for his services on August 7th.
Where is 🏡?…….stay toned https://t.co/EvWkEFJUz4
— Lagonza “SH@EDY🐺”Hayward jr (@LagonzaJr) June 4, 2024
Hayward, who has publicly said that the South Carolina Gamecocks are in his "top-3" and "top-4" in recent weeks, also includes the Tennessee Volunteers, Florida Gators, Florida State Seminoles, Southern Cal Trojans, Alabama Crimson Tide, and Georgia Bulldogs in his top-7.
Hayward's list of top schools has fluctuated, but the Tennessee Volunteers usually have been viewed as the favorite, the Gamecocks made the strongest push recently, and the Florida State Seminoles and home-state Georgia Bulldogs have been part of the discussion the entire time. The Florida Gators and Southern Cal Trojans were strong players early who shouldn't be counted out of it.
As a player, Hayward is an aggressive defender who loves to deliver big hits, both in run support and when trying to separate would-be receivers from passes.
Hayward has good size (already verified at 6'1" and 200 pounds), and he is an explosive athlete who should be able to carry even more weight at the college level without a problem. He runs well and is an even better leaper, a good trait to have for a secondary player who loves to make plays when the ball is in the air.
Hayward is an elite special teams contributor for Toombs County High School, both as a returner and as a coverage player. That and his physical readiness should allow him to see the field early for whichever team he winds up joining.
You can watch some of his film here.