Gamecock fans can barely keep up with all of the transfer portal news that is coming out of the South Carolina football program.
After 17 players entered the transfer portal over the last week and a half, Shane Beamer and his staff got to work at refilling the roster with talent. So far, the Gamecocks have secured 5 commitments from the portal, and four of them made their announcements as of Wednesday morning.
Big 4-star junior college (Highland Community College) defensive tackle Jerome Simmons was first. The Bamberg, South Carolina native has two years left to play and will provide some much-needed beef to the interior of the Gamecock defensive line. He would be an ideal fit at the 3-3-5 nose tackle if things go well for him this offseason.
Coastal Carolina defection Jared Brown was one of the top transfer portal wide receivers on the market, and his commitment to the South Carolina football team provided the Gamecocks with a versatile playmaker who can attack defenses over the top, can operate in the quick game, and can help out carrying the football on the ground.
Speaking of carrying the football, the Gamecocks added a pledge from North Texas transfer running back Oscar Adaway on Tuesday night. A bigger back (215 pounds), Adaway has compiled over 2000 yards in his collegiate career and could have two more years of eligibility if he gets a medical redshirt waiver from the NCAA.
The highest-profile transfer portal addition for the Gamecocks was the 4th commitment. A late-night pledge from Tuesday, news broke on Wednesday morning that former Arkansas rusher Rocket Sanders would be a Gamecock. Sanders missed most of the 2023 season with injuries, but in 2022, he was an elite back, putting up over 1700 yards of offense for the Razorbacks.
Coach Beamer teased out a 5th #WelcomeHome tweet on Wednesday just before lunch, and it didn't take long for the latest commitment to reveal himself.
Vanderbilt transfer wide receiver Jayden McGowan, a South Carolina native, announced his commitment on Wednesday afternoon.
Sorry for the wait. I’m coming home🫶🏾🐔 pic.twitter.com/tql08IpyWw
— Jayden McGowan (@jay3mg) December 13, 2023
Physically, McGowan is a virtual clone to recent South Carolina football graduate Ahmarean Brown, a player who was very productive for the Gamecocks when he was able to keep the drops in check and stay healthy.
Like Brown, McGowan is a smaller receiver whose game is built on speed. At his best operating out of the slot, the Laurens, South Carolina speedster can attack defenses deep up the seam and is a major factor in the quick passing game.
McGowan also is a big-time special teams contributor. In his two seasons as a Commodore, he averaged almost 25 yards per kick return (including a touchdown) and can be a useful player on coverage units thanks to his speed. Gamecock special teams coordinator Pete Lembo certainly will find a way to utilize a talent like McGowan.
McGowan will have two seasons of eligibility remaining and could be in line to start in the slot in 2024. He will join a wide receiver room with fellow transfer Jared Brown, 5-star class of 2023 athlete-turned-receiver Nyck Harbor, several inexperienced underclassmen, and two 4-star '24 prospects (Mazeo Bennett and Zy'marion Lang).