Inside the commitment: Damarcus Leach

Abbeville (S.C.) three-star safety Damarcus Leach announced his commitment to South Carolina on Wednesday after giving his pledge to Shane Beamer the day before.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pound defensive back is your classic Palmetto State, small-town, under-the-radar prospect.

Leach received the stamp of approval from Torrian Gray in camp last June, landing an offer from the Gamecocks at that time. He’ll look to follow in the footsteps of Nick Emmanwori, DQ Smith, and Judge Collier (who also appears to be emerging this spring for South Carolina) as prospects in that mold who have excelled under Gray.

Leach has a solid offer list with the likes of Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, Cincinnati, Wake Forest, and Vanderbilt, but he’s a sort of lowkey prospect who doesn’t do much self-promotion on social media. That was the way he handled his recruitment as well and ever since South Carolina was the first to offer, the Gamecocks were going to be tough to beat.

The first thing that stands out about Leach as a player is his size and length — something Gray covets in his safeties. While he could ultimately have some position versatility, he projects as a true safety right now. He’s high-hipped with a fluid backpedal and displays instincts on film with a prototypical safety frame.

One opposing coach whose opinion I trust completely, called him arguably the best player from Abbeville that he had ever coached against and said he is a stud.

I also like that Leach played some quarterback for Abbeville, switching over to that position during his junior season. Being able to excel at QB in high school seems to be a positive indicator for prospects as they transition to the next level, as does the fact that Leach also plays basketball and runs track.

I wouldn’t necessarily project Leach as an immediate impact guy at this moment, but he’s an intriguing prospect with many of the same markers as former in-state prospects who have excelled at South Carolina. You simply don’t want to pass on an in-state kid with his traits.

Leach provides a solid start to what could be another strong defensive back class. Chad Simmons has reported that the Gamecocks are the favorite for four-star Jontae Gilbert, while I put in an RPM prediction for Carolina with four-star Shamari Earls last month. They’re also well-positioned with under-the-radar Georgia DB Chris Hatfield, and will receive OVs from four-stars Brandon Finney and Jadon Blair.

Leach racked up 44 tackles, eight interceptions, and two forced fumbles in 11 games this past season.

Check out his highlights below:

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