In-state running back picks up Gamecocks offer

Broome (South Carolina) running back Jaylen McGill rushed for four touchdowns during his high school’s spring game on Friday in front of a Gamecocks assistant.

Montario Hardesty delivered an offer shortly after watching the performance.

“It’s just a dream come true. I’ve been chasing this dream for a long time,” McGill told GamecockCentral.com. “Every player’s dream is to go to the league, so I just look at it as a dream come true. I’m going to keep working because I know where my next stop’s going to be, where the final stop is.”

McGill got an in-person look at Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks football program earlier in the spring, visiting Columbia back in April.

“I love seeing how they coach,” he said. “I love the campus, too. I got to tour the campus and see everything.”

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Virginia Tech and Coastal Carolina have also offered the 5-foot-10, 185-pounder.

The 2026 standout has taken notice of what Beamer has done with USC in his first two seasons at the helm.

“It looks way different,” McGill observed. “Before he came, South Carolina was kind of an on and off team. They’d be on the radar for a little bit, then they’d go away. I feel like they’ll shock everybody this year.”

Additionally, McGill has enjoyed his early conversations with Hardesty.

“Coach Mo’s got some crazy energy, man,” he said. “As we’ve been talking, he sounds like he really wants me. That’s all you ever want out of a school.”

This summer, the Upstate product has a return visit to see the Gamecocks again in mind, plus a couple other SEC trips.

Said McGill: “I’ll be visiting Carolina, probably visit Georgia, and then after I get Georgia, I should be going to Alabama. I’m going to try to get my dates lined up. I’m not sure where I’ll be going yet, just go with the flow.”

In addition to some off-field factors, McGill would love the opportunity to play early at a program.

“I just want to be able to start day one,” he said. “It’s not about promising me a spot, it’s just a fair chance.”

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Last season, McGill rushed for over 1,000 yards and scored 23 touchdowns.

“My speed is probably a big part of my game,” he said. “Just me, the person I am, I’m never satisfied. I’m doing my research, doing my homework, looking to get better every day. I want to be the best.”

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