South Carolina football target sets commitment date for next week

June has been a big month for the South Carolina football coaching staff and their recruiting efforts. Seven commitments have gone public for the Gamecocks, and two more silent commits are waiting in the wings.

One player many South Carolina football fans are watching for a pledge is North Carolina EDGE/linebacker prospect Taeshawn Alston from Vance County High School.

A former 4-star prospect and current 3-star recruit, he named his top-6 back in February, and the South Carolina Gamecocks, North Carolina Tar Heels, Rutgers Scarlet Knights, Virginia Tech Hokies, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and West Virginia Mountaineers made the cut.

On Wednesday, Alston revealed that he was ready to announce his college decision. That announcement has been set for Tuesday, June 25th at 6:00 PM ET at his high school football field at Vance County.

Alston took three official visits leading up to this announcement, including one to Columbia. The Gamecocks have recruited him as a versatile defensive playmaker who could be used as a traditional linebacker or as an EDGE player.

At 6'3"/6'4" and about 230 pounds, Alston has really nice size for the linebacker position but would need to put on a little bit of muscle if he is to play any defensive end at the college level. Most of his high school snaps have come at EDGE, but he has played as a stand-up player and with his hand in the dirt.

Alston is a good athlete as evidenced by his part-time role as a wide receiver on Vance County's offense. That athleticism shows up on tape as he is able to impact the game in a variety of ways. Rushing the passer is his strong suit, but Alston also is a good pursuit player in the run game and has enough strength and explosiveness to cause problems for offensive linemen who are only prepared for speed rushes.

You can watch some of his film here.