Where South Carolina stands with their 2024 recruiting class as June comes to an end
Despite dropping seven spots in the 2024 Industry Ranking Football Team Recruiting Rankings this month, things are starting to heat up for South Carolina.
With already eight four-star commits, the Gamecocks are well ahead of where they’ve been, in recent memory, before the month of July. On top of that, the RPM has USC in in great position to land several priority prospects.
As of Wednesday afternoon June, 28, South Carolina is up to 13 public commitments for their 2024 class. They also have one commitment that remains silent. That silent commitment came on June 12.
While nothing can become official until December, here’s a list of the prospects who have committed to the Gamecocks so far.
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4-star OT Josiah Thompson
Hard Commitment Date: 4/14/23
Thompson remains rated as the top prospect from the state of South Carolina. Standing at just under 6-foot-7, 275 pounds, On3 remains extremely high on Dillion High School product as he remains listed as the No.2 offensive tackle for his class and the 21st top overall prospect in the nation. What makes Thompson’s commitment to the Gamecocks that much sweeter is that he chooses USC over Clemson.
4-star OT Kam Pringle
Hard Commitment Date: 1/22/23
Pringle was originally the consensus No.1 rated offensive tackle for the class of 2024. As of today, he’s listed as the No.5 OT. He announced his commitment to play at South Carolina in January. A rising senior at Woodland High, the SC native stands at 6-8, 340 pounds. Pringle was one of the first players in his class that Shane Beamer offered a scholarship to. That came just three months after Beamer arrived at USC. The four-star chooses the Gamecocks over a long list of a power five schools including Clemson, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Ohio State.
4-star TE Michael Smith
Hard Commitment Date: 1/24/23
Standing at 6-4, 225, Smith remains rated as the seventh tight end for his class by On3. USC was the first to offer Smith, which as we’ve said many times before with other commits, that loyalty from day one played a big role in this prospect choosing the Gamecocks. The Georgia native chose USC over schools such as Alabama, Florida, Ohio State,Tennessee and Texas.
4-star LB Wendell Gregory
Hard Commitment Date: 1/27/23
At 6-4, 208 pounds, the Marietta, GA product remains rated by On3 as the fourth top linebacker in his class and currently the 57th overall player in the nation. His success on the track translates over to the football field with the speed he demonstrates. His scouting report highlights his excellent closing speed and ability to move quickly from sideline to sideline. But don’t let his speed fool you, he also brings power with his On3 scouting report saying, “high upside prospect who has every chance to become a top-tier NFL prospect.”
4-star WR Mazeo Bennett
Hard Commitment Date: 2/3/23
Originally listed as an “Athlete,” Bennett’s position was updated to “wide receiver” by On3 this spring. As it’ll come as no surprise, that’s the position that he committed to play at South Carolina in February. Bennett has moved up eight spots on On3’s WR board to No.24. The nearly 6-0, 175-pound wide out remains rated as the No.4 overall prospect from South Carolina. He decommitted from Tennessee in December before ultimately choosing the Gamecocks.
4-star S Kelvin Hunter
Hard Commitment Date: 4/19/23
Regarded as the No.17 safety for the class of 2024, Hunter joins a handful of South Carolina natives who have already committed to the Gamecocks. Standing at just under 6-feet tall, he’s remains the No.5 overall prospect from the Palmetto State (rated No.4 in April) and is a game-changer on special teams with his knack for blocking kicks. The DB chooses the Gamecocks over schools including Virginia Tech, Michigan, Auburn, Kentucky and Coastal Carolina.
4-star CB Braydon Lee
Hard Commitment Date: 4/19/23
After seeing a slight drop in his rankings these past few months, Lee slid up a spot this month. He’s now considered the consensus 32nd top cornerback in the nation for his class. He also remains the eighth top overall prospect from the state of Maryland. Like we’ve said many times before with this year’s recruiting class, South Carolina was one of the first schools to offer the 6-foot tall, 160-pound DB. He chooses South Carolina over schools including Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio State, Notre Dame, Penn State, Tennessee, Miami, Texas A&M, Auburn and Alabama.
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4-star QB Dante Reno
Hard Commitment Date: 7/2/22
Reno is regard as the consensus No.22 QB in the nation. But with his recent performance at the Elite 11 Finals, he should see a boost. At least on the On3 rankings, which has him listed as the No.44 QB. Reno was the first player to commit to the Gamecocks 2024 class. The 6-1, 215-pound quarterback transferred high schools in February and now attends Cheshire Academy in Connecticut. The move will allow him to enroll early at South Carolina next January. A plan that wouldn’t have been possible if he had stayed at his previous high school, Loomis Chaffee (Conn.).
3-star LB Fred Johnson
Hard Commitment Date: 6/17/23
There are some guys who come on recruiting website radar’s late who go on to become hidden gems. The 6-3, 225-pound Johnson is just that. Up 30 pounds from his last On3 official measurement, the athletic backer plays on all three phases at Maury High School, a 5A school that reached the state championship last season. Listed as the No.55 linebacker in the class of 2024 two weeks ago, Johnson has dropped to No.61 since his commitment to the Gamecocks.
3-star OL Blake Franks
Hard Commitment Date: 3/31/23
Standing at 6-5, 315 pounds, Franks is now rated as the eighth top prospect from the state of South Carolina. A teammate of fellow Gamecock commit Mazeo Bennett at Greenville High School, he became the third of five in-state prospects to commit to Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks. Rated as the 37th top IOL for his class, Franks chose the Gamecocks over schools including Clemson and Alabama.
3-star RB Matthew Fuller
Hard Commitment Date: 6/23/23
At 6-0, 210 pounds, Fuller rushed for over 1,700 yards and 22 touchdowns last season. He also rushed for over 100 yards in ten different games. A big part of his game is speed. Running a 10.79 in the 100-meter dash this past spring, Fuller came in second at regionals. A rising senior, Fuller plays at Wayne County High School for Jaybo Shaw, the brother of Gamecock great Connor Shaw.
3-star P Mason Love
Hard Commitment Date: 6/12/23
Rankings for specialist can be tricky. But one thing that can’t be questioned is that Love is considered one of the top punters in the class of 2024. While there’s no consensus ranking on him, Love is listed as the No.3 punter in the nation. At the Kohl’s Kicking Camp, which is considered the premier clinic for specialist in the country, he’s rated as the No.4 punter in the land and a fives-star. The point is, Love is the real deal. He chooses the Gamecock over schools including Cal, Army, Navy, Air Force, and Arkansas State.
3-star DB David Bucey
Hard Commitment Date: 6/24/23
Currently listed as linebacker, Bucey has been recruited to play defensive back at South Carolina. As of his commitment, Bucey is not ranked yet by On3. He’s considered a three-star prospect by 247Sports and the No. 97 linebacker in the country. Named the Georgia 3A Athlete of the Year this past season, he had over 100 tackles, four sacks, and five interceptions. He also hauled in over 700 yards as a receiver.
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