Reactions rolling in from Gamecocks’ weekend cookout event
The recruiting dead period is nearly here, but the South Carolina Gamecocks coaching staff squeezed in one more important on-campus event on Friday.
Shane Beamer and his staff welcomed a wealth of top talent from the 2024 class and beyond to campus for a cookout-style event on Friday evening.
GamecockCentral.com is continuing to gather feedback and prospect reactions in the aftermath of the event and will continue to update this feature throughout the weekend.
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FRIDAY 11 PM UPDATE
— Let’s go ahead and lead with the two big ones that everyone is wondering about from the 2024 class.
Dylan Stewart made it in as expected. Even though we’ve tried to log his trips the best we can, we’ve just about lost count of how many times he has been in Columbia.
We’re told his mother and father joined him for this trip, too.
We’ll have more later.
— Four-star defensive back Jalewis Solomon also made it in. This was a critical trip for the Gamecocks on this front, and we’re still in the midst of gathering more specific feedback.
This one’s been a FSU/South Carolina battle, but we did pick up that Auburn’s still trying to make a big push here for the South Georgia product.
USC has a chance to pull this one off, for sure, but it’s still too early here on Friday night to have a good sense. It could have some twists and turns up until Solomon’s August 5 announcement, too.
More coming throughout the weekend on this one, too.
— Let’s also not delay further and let everyone know that 2025 five-star defensive tackle Elijah Griffin also made it in as hoped and expected.
We haven’t gathered any feedback just yet directly from Griffin, but hope to in the near future.
For now, our understanding is that this latest trip seemed to go quite well for the nation’s current number two overall prospect according to the On3 Industry Ranking.
Griffin was, of course, blanketed by multiple Gamecocks coaches. Jody Wright has done an excellent job here as the area recruiter, as has Shane Beamer and Travian Robertson since joining the staff. The group has USC in legitimate contention alongside Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, and others. Griffin has been quite public in the past regarding his affinity for USC, and this trip seemed to reinforce that. It will, of course, be a huge battle for his services.
— A host of other prospects from Griffin’s home town of Savannah were also on hand on the day.
That includes commitments David Bucey and Michael Smith, plus 2025 wide receiver Thomas Blackshear, Smith’s teammate at Calvary Day.
— Every now and then, a visitor that is not particularly on our radar pops up as someone we are told is going to be on campus.
Such was the case for this weekend with four-star linebacker Tavion Wallace out of Georgia.
He attends the same high school as USC commitment Matthew Fuller and is coached by Connor Shaw’s brother, Jaybo.
Auburn and Florida State’s been leading for his services this summer, and we have not been heavily tracking him where South Carolina is concerned.
“Good,” Wallace told GamecockCentral.com of the visit. “(I liked) how the coaches are real with you and great people.”
Wallace is still not sure of the next steps in his recruitment. He doesn’t have any other trips scheduled and did not have a firm answer on if the Gamecocks are now a major factor.
“I don’t know right now,” he said. “I’m just going to put everything in God’s hands and let it go and he has it.”
— Big-time 2025 tight end Ethan Barbour, a USC legacy, also made it in.
— We confirmed that 2026 offered tight end Corbyn Fordham also made it in for the cookout.
— 2026 two-way lineman Tyler Merrill picked up a Gamecocks offer during his visit.
“It was awesome,” he said. “Best experience I’ve had so far. Everyone was so nice. Food was awesome. Couldn’t ask for more. Nothing more I can say about (USC coaches). Just great people. Every single one of them.
— Some quick quotes from visiting prospects:
2026 WR Brody Keefe: “It was amazing, I had a great time connecting with the coaching staff and learning more about the program.”2026 OL Desmond Green: “The whole day was great all together. Loved the hospitality they showed us and that at-home feeling they gave.”2025 DB Damarcus Leach: “It was great. I really enjoyed my time down there. Really showed me and my family a lot of love.”2026 DB Z’Javien Currence: “Good trip, it was a fun experience. They showed me a lot of love and interest during the entire event. Coach Beamer and Coach Gray talked ball with me and my dad. The recruiting event was fun, also.”
— In-state priority DL Amare Adams out of South Florence also made it in and we still consider South Carolina to be in a good spot.
— We were impressed this summer watching Georgia EDGE Isaiah Gibson work out with Sterling Lucas.
That was last month, and he was back this month to just hang out with the staff. Gibson was joined on the visit by his mother, and we’re told all parties left impressed.
Shane Beamer is liked a good bit by the family, as is Sterling Lucas.
— The Gamecocks have not offered in-state running back Ladainnian Martin out of Greer, but it’s possible that could happen with some added weight in the future.
He worked out with Montario Hardesty this summer and was back for some more facetime on Friday.
“The trip was great,” he said. “The relationship building between the coaches and players is what stood out most to me, and how the coaches communicate with the players.
— 2026 quarterback Landon Duckworth was also back at Carolina for another look at the program.
Assistant coach Jody Wright has family ties to the 2026 quarterback’s hometown of Jackson, Alabama, and he and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains watched Duckworth throw this spring.
USC appears to be in a very good spot here.
Cookout Visitor List
2024
Washington (D.C.) Friendship Collegiate five-star EDGE Dylan Stewart
Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County four-star athlete Jalewis Solomon
Riverview (Fla.) Sumner DL Keon Webb
Greenville (S.C.) four-star WR Mazeo Bennett
Alpharetta (Ga.) Walton four-star LB Wendell Gregory
Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian three-star LB David Bucey
Jesup (Ga.) Wayne County three-star RB Matthew Fuller
2025
Savannah (Ga.) Savannah Christian five-star DL Elijah Griffin
Florence (S.C.) South Florence four-star DL Amare Adams
Alpharetta (Ga.) four-star TE Ethan Barbour
Jacksonville (Fla.) Raines four-star OT Solomon Thomas
Atlanta (Ga.) Douglass four-star S Jontae Gilbert (OSU commit) (THURSDAY)
Greensboro (N.C.) Grimsley four-star EDGE Bryce Davis
Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Day School three-star WR Thomas Blackshear
Irmo (S.C.) ATH AJ Brand
Henderson (N.C.) Vance County four-star EDGE Taeshawn Alston
Abbeville (S.C.) DB Demarcus Leach
Greer (S.C.) three-star RB Ladainnian Martin
Savannah (Ga.) Calvary Baptist Day WR/RB Edward Coleman V.
Jesup (Ga.) Wayne County four-star LB Tavion Wallace
Cheltenham (Penn.) four-star EDGE/LB Sharlandiin Strange
Trinity Catholic (Fla.) OL Gerrick Gordham Jr.
Warner Robins (Ga.) four-star EDGE Isaiah Gibson
Chesterfield (S.C.) WR Kaegan Chambers
2026
Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s School OT Darius Gray
Saint Stephen (S.C.) Timberland IOL Desmond Green
Jackson (Ala.) QB Landon Duckworth
Ocala (Fla.) Trinity Catholic OL G’Nivre Carr
Jacksonville (Fla.) Bolles School TE Corbyn Fordham
Charlotte (N.C.) Marvin Ridge WR Brody Keefe
Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe ATH J’Zavien Currence
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