With the 2024-25 College Football season officially in the books, focus across the nation now shifts to offseason recruiting as programs wait for spring camp. The Gamecocks find its 2025 recruiting class ranked at No. 19 after a total of 39 commits according to on3's team recruiting ranks.
Five of those 39 commits are part of ESPN's top 300 commits with star transfers from the transfer portal as well as new signings from high school athletes joining the Gamecocks.
With the addition of wide recievers coach Mike Furrey to the staff before the 2024 season, the recruiting process has gone pretty well for the class of 2025 head coach Shane Beamer said.
"Particularly Mike Furrey coming in and just doing a grand slam job of recruiting receivers." Beamer said. "When you look at this receiving group that he attacked and brought in here so we're excited about what we've done there.
Building around Sellers
One notable wide receiver from the new list of committed Gamecocks is Donovan Murph. Murph officially committed to the Gamecocks on Jan. 2 live on ESPN2 during the 2025 Under Armour All-America Game for High School prospects in DeLand, Florida. The Irmo, SC native is ranked as the No. 182 ranked recruit according to the ESPN Top 300 and the No. 8 recruit from the state of South Carolina according to on3's industry recruit rankings.
"South Carolina was the school that stayed consistent with me." Murph said on ESPN2 after committing to the Gamecocks. "All fall they were showing me love."
Murph was a multi-sport athlete for Irmo High School, competing in track and field and basketball to go alongside his football career. On the gridiron in 2024, Murph had 1,328 yards alongside 12 touchdowns and 13.8 yards per completion. Murph helped his team finish 13-0 in the regular season and advance to the 4A state semifinals for the first time in school history.
The Gamecocks also entered the offseason looking for added depth in the running back room after senior running back Raheim "Rocket" Sanders declared for the NFL Draft.
The Gamecocks will have one new running back joining the roster in 2025 in Utah State transfer running back Rahsul Faison who signed with South Carolina on Jan. 8. During his time playing for the Aggies, Faison had a total of 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns in two seasons. Faison also recorded zero fumbles during his time with Utah State.
The Gamecocks also signed Kentucky transfer Jordan Dingle in December after the loss of senior tight end Joshua Simons to graduation. Dingle's best statistical season was in 2023, totaling 270 yards on the season on 12 catches.
Ohio State transfer Air Noland and incoming true freshman Cutter Woods signed with the Gamecocks in December as the Gamecocks look to build depth around starting quarterback and 2024 FWAA Freshman Offensive Player of the Year LaNorris Sellers. Woods was named the MaxPreps South Carolina Player of the Year in 2023 and 2024 and led Westside High School in Anderson, South Carolina to a 4A state title in 2023.
Rebuilding the trenches
South Carolina will be replacing many key linemen on both sides of the ball after losing players like senior offensive lineman Vershon Lee and senior defensive tackle TJ Sanders to graduation.
"You look at when TJ, and Tonka (Hemingway), and Boogie (Huntley) and we brought in (DeAndre) Jules, they all decided to come back for another year it was 'Ok awesome these guys are coming back' but then it also hits you in the face these guys will be gone after '24 and that's a lot of really really good football players rolling out of here." Beamer said. "Really the heart of the defense right there with those three tackles and then the two inside linebackers."
The Gamecocks bring in two incoming freshmen to its offensive line in Damola Ajidahun and Shedrick Sarratt Jr. Ajisahun was a four-star recruit ranked 195th in the ESPN 300 while the South Carolina native Sarratt Jr. ranked as a three-star recruit.
The Gamecocks also looked to the transfer portal to fill its gaps on the offensive front bringing in Boaz Stanley and Rodney Newsom from Troy University and Western Kentucky respectively
On the defensive front, the Gamecocks picked up sophomore Texas A&M transfer Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy, freshman Missouri transfer Jaylen Brown and sophomore Bowling Green transfer Davonte Miles out of the transfer portal. Brown only appeared in two games with the Tigers last season but will have time to grow with the Gamecocks after remaining eligible to redshirt the 2024 season.
Other additions to the defensive line for 2025 include four-star defensive lineman Jaquavious Dodd and four three-star defensive linemen in Kobby Sakyi-Prah, Anthony Addison, Donovan Darden and Taeshawn Alston.
The Gamecocks also built its linebacker room back up through the transfer portal signing Florida State transfer Shawn Murphy and Alabama transfer Justin Okoronkwo.
The Gamecocks also upgraded its secondary with sophomore cornerback Brandon Cisse transferring from NC State. In 2024 at NC State, he put up 28 tackles on the season and transferred to the University of South Carolina on Jan. 13.
The Gamecocks will have numerous opportunities to grab even more players with National Signing Day around the corner on Feb. 5.