The Early Signing Period for college football began on Wednesday, and National Letters of Intent have been flying in from all over the country. While most of those NLIs are not sent in via fax machine anymore, commitments are not official until paperwork is completed. The South Carolina football program is hoping to have most of their class secured by the end of the Early Signing Period.
One player in the class who made things official is 4-star athlete Jalewis Solomon.
Welcome home, @SolomonJalewis! pic.twitter.com/jz2NIHrdZ3
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) December 20, 2023
Position: CB/WR
Recruiting Ranking: 4 stars (ESPN, Rivals); 3 stars (On3, 247Sports)
Measurables: 6'1"; 185 pounds; 4.4-second 40-yard dash
Former Player Comp: Jaycee Horn
Jalewis Solomon might be the most underrated player in the 2024 South Carolina football signing class. A 4-star athlete, he is a dynamic player at both wide receiver and cornerback. He is an effortless mover with smooth athleticism. He is expected to begin his career as a cornerback with the Gamecocks.
Solomon made a surprise commitment to Auburn during the summer (Florida State was the early favorite, and South Carolina appeared to be the favorite on the commitment date), but he eventually flipped to the Gamecocks. The USC coaching staff believe he can be the next in a long line of great corners to play in garnet and black.
Because of his wide receiver experience (Georgia Region 6A Offensive Player of the Year), Solomon has better ball skills than a lot of other defensive backs, so when he was challenged in high school, he was a big-time threat to intercept the ball or knock it away.
Though this might sound like a lofty comparison, Solomon profiles similarly to Gamecock great Jaycee Horn. Both players are a little thin but possess elite "stickiness" and good length and the cornerback position. Their best shared trait, however, is their hips. Both Solomon and Horn seemingly could turn and accelerate quickly from any position at any time. South Carolina football fans certainly would be satisfied if Solomon ends up being a 1st-round pick like Horn, too.
Jalewis Solomon seems to be a player who could play early in his Gamecock career. The Carolina cornerback situation is murky as only O'Donnell Fortune has extensive experience. Judge Collier is probably the favorite to win the other corner job as of now, but Solomon will compete with Collier, Emory Floyd, and Vicari Swain for the second boundary corner behind Fortune.
You can watch some of his film here.