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South Carolina looks to land 2028 5-star DE Cassell Cruickshank during fall visit

The Gamecocks are hosting the No. 1 EDGE rusher out of North Carolina this season.
ByMorgan Moriarty|
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Sep 27, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer leads his team onto the field during the Gamecocks 2001 entrance before their game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Sep 27, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer leads his team onto the field during the Gamecocks 2001 entrance before their game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

South Carolina's 2026 football season is a busy time both with respect to the games themselves, and hosting big-time recruits for home games. The Gamecocks coaching staff is hoping to make a big impression on five-star EDGE rusher Cassell Cruickshank this fall. 

The 6-foot-6, 230-pound prospect out of Fayetteville, N.C. will reportedly take a visit to South Carolina sometime this season. Per the 247Sports Composite, Cruickshank is rated as the No. 2 overall EDGE rusher from the class of 2028, and is the No. 1 overall prospect from his home state of North Carolina. 

According to Gamecock Central, South Carolina has "really been pushing" for the talented prospect. The E.E. Smith High School product is being recruited by several big-time schools. He holds offers from the likes of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State Texas and Texas A&M and USC. 

South Carolina was actually the first power-conference offer that he received, first offering the Fayetteville star this past January. Several of his other power-conference offers came this summer. Penn State was his most recent offer, as head coach Matt Campbell extended one to him on Aug. 17. 

He will visit Florida on Nov. 7 for the Gators' home game against Oklahoma. He told Swamp247 that he will visit 11 schools earlier this month, but that number may have increased with the number of offers he has. An exact date for Cruickshank to visit South Carolina appears to not be set in stone just yet.     

Per his freshman season tracked by MaxPreps, Cruickshank accounted for 16 total tackles last year, as well as nine solo stops with three sacks. 

South Carolina is hoping a strong track record within the state of North Carolina can give the Gamecocks an edge here. South Carolina's 2027 class has three blue-chips prospects from the state, including five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson, safety Davion Jones and defensive lineman John Archer. 

The Gamecocks also have a verbal commit in their 2028 class from North Carolina already, in three-star receiver Joseph Gibbs.

South Carolina has several big home games that Cruickshank could attend. The Gamecocks are expected to have huge crowd atmospheres for their home games against Mississippi State on Sept. 19, Tennessee on Oct. 24, Texas A&M on Nov. 7 before Georgia comes to down two weeks later on Nov. 21.

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