South Carolina Football: Gamecock 4-star target from Palmetto State makes commitment

South Carolina football fans have had a running joke within the fanbase for years that is rooted partly in jest and partly in dejection. That joke is that the Gamecocks don't utilize the tight end position enough in the offense.

On the one hand, it is a joke because the Gamecocks actually have gotten solid production from the tight end position in most seasons in modern USC history. On the other, it comes from a small place of painful reality as dynamic tight ends like Jared Cook and Hayden Hurst always seemed as if they could have been utilized more during their time in garnet and black.

The current tight ends on the South Carolina football roster have high expectations placed on them by the fanbase as senior Josh Simon, transfer portal addition Brady Hunt, and freshman Michael Smith all have the talent to become big-time contributors for the Gamecocks.

A class of 2025 prospect was thought by some Carolina fans to be next in line. Marshall Pritchett, a 4-star prospect originally from Charleston, South Carolina (he has since moved to Georgia), has been high on the Gamecocks for some time, and USC has been one of his favorites throughout the recruitment process.

On Saturday, the athletic tight end prospect revealed his college commitment with an announcement on his personal Instagram account.

Pritchett chose the North Carolina Tar Heels over the rest of his top-6 that also included the South Carolina Gamecocks, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Michigan Wolverines, Wisconsin Badgers, and Miami Hurricanes.

The Gamecocks still only have one player committed in the class of 2025. Wide receiver Jayden Sellers (younger brother of USC starting quarterback LaNorris Sellers) is the only pledge in the cycle, and South Carolina football fan are growing anxious as they wait for that to change.