South Carolina loses out in recruiting battle over 2027 top-ranked EDGE rusher

The South Carolina Gamecocks have been working hard on the recruiting trail in recent weeks, landing the likes of four-star athlete Brayden Tyson as well as receiver Javien Robinson. 

But unfortunately for head coach Shane Beamer and the Gamecock coaching staff, South Carolina missed out on one of the nation's top EDGE rushers that they were pursuing. On Tuesday evening, four-star prospect Jackson Vaughn announced that he was verbally committed to Notre Dame. 

The decision comes roughly a month after he unofficially visited Notre Dame on April 25. Vaughn is rated as the nation's No. 22 EDGE rusher from the class of 2027 and rated as the No. 5 prospect out of his home state of New Jersey. He committed to the Fighting Irish over fellow finalists alongside the Gamecocks in Auburn, Miami, and LSU. 

Vaughn was actually supposed to be a class of 2028 prospect, but he graduated from his Bergen Catholic High School early and reclassified as a 2027 prospect. He reportedly plans to enroll early at Notre Dame next spring, and announce his reclassification just a couple days after his visit to South Bend.  South Carolina and LSU were the two schools Vaughn did not step on-campus at, unfortunately for the Gamecocks.

As anyone knows with recruiting, you can't win every single battle. But head coach Shane Beamer is in real need of an EDGE rusher in his 2027 class, currently without one in his 30th-ranked class. 

With Vaughn off the board and headed elsewhere, the Gamecocks will likely have to look elsewhere. 

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