South Carolina Football: Gamecock target bumped to top spot in national rankings by major outlet

South Carolina football fans have been caught up in transfer portal recruiting over the past week or so. The Gamecocks have brought in commitments from 8 transfers (7 Division-I transfer portal players and one from the junior college ranks), and they probably aren't done.

However, high school recruiting continues even if the fanbase has its attention turned elsewhere.

The South Carolina football program is pushing up into the top-15 of the 2024 recruiting rankings, and they are working on making solid in-roads for major talent in the 2025 class and beyond.

A major class of 2025 target for the Gamecocks is 5-star offensive tackle David Sanders. Sanders is a consensus top-5 prospect in the class according to all four major recruiting outlets, and some scouts even believe he could be one of the best offensive line prospects in years.

This week, Sanders was selected as the top player in the entire country, regardless of position, by the folks over at Rivals.

At 6'6" and 270 pounds, Sanders is an athletic tackle who has really good footwork and length, a combination that makes him an elite pass protector at the high school ranks. He's also aggressive and strong, granting him enough run block ability to view him as very projectable at the next level once he hits a college weight room.

At this point in his recruitment, it appears that Sanders is considering South Carolina, Clemson, Georgia, North Carolina, Alabama, and Ohio State more than any other schools.

Of those programs, the South Carolina football facilities are closer to his home in Charlotte than any other. The Providence Day School standout is less than an hour and a half from Columbia, and Gamecock fans hope that proximity helps their favorite team's chances of landing the big man.

You can watch some of his film here.