South Carolina football fans watched a tough season on the offensive line in 2023. Injuries and poor play up front combined to doom the Gamecock offense far too many times than one would expect from a group led by Spencer Rattler and Xavier Legette.
However, as most devoted Gamecocks know, there is help on the way.
There are 7 former blue chip offensive linemen who still have three years of eligibility or more remaining, and there are several other high-upside youngsters and transfers who could factor into the future on the line.
The Gamecocks don't want to slow down their efforts in recruiting game-changing players on the offensive line, however, and because of that, there are a number of high-profile offensive line prospects in the 2025 class who are heavily involved with USC.
One of these players is 5-star David Sanders. Sanders ranks as the top offensive lineman in the country by 3 of the 4 major recruiting services, and his ridiculous combination of size and athletic potential gives him a limitless upside.
On Saturday, Sanders took to social media to announce his top schools, and South Carolina football made the list.
Beyond blessed ❤️ https://t.co/06GESVLM1y
— David Sanders Jr. (@DavidLSandersJr) March 2, 2024
Sanders' top-6 includes the South Carolina Gamecocks, Clemson Tigers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Georgia Bulldogs, Ohio State Buckeyes, and Tennessee Volunteers.
As a player, Sanders is a future left tackle who should be able to anchor an offensive line with elite pass blocking chops and enough strength and "want-to" in the run game to be a difference-maker in that part of the game, as well. He has impossibly long arms and a solid base that should make him near-impossible to get through or around for defensive linemen.
Sanders is a bit undersized from a weight perspective (his highest weight listing is just 270 pounds), but he has a frame that should add mass easily, and he is a freak of an athlete who has played some as an EDGE in high school.
You can watch some of his film here.