It's recruiting season in college football. With that, head coach Shane Beamer and his South Carolina Gamecocks have plenty of opportunity to bolster their roster.
And on the defensive side of the football, one player they have got their eyes on is Don Bosco Prep star (Ramsey, NJ) Mikahi Allen, who included the Gamecocks in his recently released final eight teams who made the cut for him ahead of his commitment decision.
Alongside South Carolina in the Allen sweepstakes are Illinois, Florida State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas and Texas A&M.
The Gamecocks are making good headway in the process with him, too, as On3 reports that South Carolina has scheduled an official visit with Allen set for the weekend of June 5.
Here's what Allen brings to the table as a prospect
247 Sports lists the 6-foot-1, 225 pound Allen as a four-star prospect and has him ranked as the No. 230 overall prospect nationally, the No. 4 prospect in the state of New Jersey and the No. 17 linebacker in the Class of 2027.
He's garnered plenty of praise and attention throughout his high school career, projecting as a player with high upside as he prepares to enter the collegiate ranks with what will be a prominent NCAA program, whether that be South Carolina or somewhere else.
Allen's junior year was nothing short of impressive as he put together a season with 58 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, seven sacks, three interceptions, two pass breakups, three forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a blocked punt.
That screams versatility and efficiency. The numbers alone are enough to turn heads. But wait until you look at the film. It only gets better from there, and it may be even more impressive the way Allen can describe with authority exactly what he wants from his college team with the maturity of player beyond his years.
"I look at scheme a lot because a lot of places are playing with two linebackers, but they are also putting their linebackers in multiple positions," Allen told Brian Dohn of 247 Sports. "If you want to get to that next level... you want to go to a college that can show your versatility to the scouts. That's what I've really been looking into."
South Carolina is at it on the recruiting trail
Allen is a prospect the Gamecocks will want to continue to compete for, but he's far from the only one the team has either already landed or is still looking into.
Among those committed are four-star safety Jernard Albright out of Effington County (Springfield, GA), three-star ATH Jaiden Kelly-Murray who has played out his high school career at Summerville (Summerville, SC) and three-star quarterback Jerry Meyer III who currently takes the field for Waxahachie (Waxahachie, TX).
It's certainly a start, but South Carolina has a lot of work to do to continue filling the list out for this recruiting cycle. Other prospects to watch that South Carolina is after for both 2026 and 2027 include four-star offensive tackle Nate Carson, who just included South Carolina in his top five, and three-star wide receiver Iveon Lewis.
How the Gamecocks continue down the recruiting trail will be something to watch develop.
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