South Carolina Football: Gamecocks make top-3 for LB recruit set to commit this week

South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer and his defensive staff have what looks like a good SEC linebacker unit heading into the 2024 season. All-SEC 'backer Debo Williams is joined by fellow senior Bam Martin-Scott, athletic young guys like Jaron Willis, Fred "JayR" Johnson, and Wendell Gregory, and veteran transfers Demetrius Knight and Bangally Kamara.

With four seniors at the position, though, the Gamecocks need to recruit well at linebacker. One of their main targets is North Carolina prospect Justin Rowe.

Listed at linebacker by On3, safety by 247Sports, and athlete by Rivals, Rowe is an athletic player who played all over the defense for Asheville School as a junior. Getting snaps at safety, corner, and linebacker, he is a playmaker. Over the weekend, Rowe announced his top-3 schools and revealed that he would make his college decision sometime this week.

Rowe's top-3 includes the South Carolina Gamecocks, Virginia Cavaliers, and Wake Forest Demon Deacons. He told media outlets last week that the Gamecocks were one of his favorite schools, and this list of three finalists proves it.

As a player, Rowe is always around the ball in the passing game, separating receivers from the ball, knocking passes away, and picking the ball off in almost any interception opportunity.

His most projectable trait to the next level, though, is his athleticism as a tackler. Rowe can play sideline-to-sideline and has a knack for coming downhill to tackle ball carriers. That athleticism and his experience as a coverage player at safety and corner are sure to give him a leg up on other linebackers when asked to cover offensive skill players in passing situations.

Rowe plays some wide receiver and running back on offense and even returns kicks for his high school team. However, his future is probably on the defensive side of the football.

You can watch some of his film here.