On Friday evening, South Carolina Football scored a major recruiting victory as four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth announced his commitment to the Gamecocks. Again. The Jackson, Alabama native is officially back in the mix for the Garnet and Black, rejoining the Class of 2026 after decommiting last summer. Duckworth's decision instantly boosted the Gamecocks in the national recruiting rankings. At the start of the day Friday, South Carolina sat at No. 40 for the 2026 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. However, a few hours later, after Duckworth's pledge, the Gamecocks broke into the Top 25, landing at No. 24. With 13 commits now on the board, South Carolina carries an average rating of 91.23 for the 2026 Class, ranking 11th nationally.
🙏🏾 #SpursUp🤙🏾 pic.twitter.com/3S2IJtQfCQ
— Landon “DUCK🦆” Duckworth (@LandonDuckworth) July 19, 2025
Duckworth is ranked as the No. 51 overall prospect and the No. 6 quarterback in the country. He is South Carolina's ninth four-star pledge in the 2026 recruiting cycle. Duckworth also becomes the second-highest prosect in the class, behind elite defensive lineman Aiden Harris. The Gamecocks now have seven commitments that are ranked inside the Top 300 of the 247Sports Composite. Those include the following:
- Aiden Harris (DL) – No. 58
- Landon Duckworth (QB) – No. 64
- J’Zavien Currence (DB) – No. 93
- Zyon Guiles (ATH) – No. 156
- Sequel Patterson (LB) – No. 203
- Noah Clark (OL) – No. 295
- Kamari Blair (EDGE) – No. 299
(Tight end Jamel Howse is just outside at No. 303)
Duckworth's commitment truly came full circle for the Gamecocks, as he was originally committed back in 2023, but reopened his recruiting in June of 2024. Despite the separation, South Carolina never backed off recruiting Duckworth, and their persistence paid off on Friday.
The Gamecocks are blazing along the recruiting trail, landing three pledges in so many days. EDGE Kamari Blair got things rolling on Wednesday, followed by safety Triston Lewis on Thursday, and now Duckworth. In addition, head coach Shane Beamer also posted another mysterious "Welcome Home" on X shortly after Duckworth's commitment.
With back-to-back Top 20 recruiting classes in 2024 and 2025, South Carolina is building a solid foundation for the Class of 2026, one that now has its quarterback.