Breaking Down Championship Weekend: Gamecock Commits and Targets Set for the South Carolina State Finals
Championship weekend officially kicks off tomorrow in Orangeburg, S.C., with three games set for Friday and another three on Saturday at South Carolina State University.
Belton-Honea Path and Oceanside Collegiate open the slate at 12:06 p.m., starting a two-day stretch loaded with high-level talent from across the state.
Gamecock Central will be in Orangeburg throughout the weekend. I’ll personally be providing photo coverage and in-game updates from Northwestern vs. Irmo on Friday night and South Pointe vs. South Florence and Dutch Fork vs. Summerville on Saturday, with a focus on Gamecock commits and priority targets.
| Date | Time | Teams |
| Friday | 12 PM | Belton-Honea Path vs Oceanside Collegiate |
| Friday | 4 PM | S.C.Lamar vs Bamberg-EhrhardtState University |
| Friday | 7:30 PM | Northwestern vs Irmo |
| Saturday | 12 PM | South Pointe vs South Florence |
| Saturday | 4 PM | Strom Thurmond vs Hampton County |
| Saturday | 7:30 PM | Dutch Fork vs Summerville |
Northwestern vs. Irmo (Friday, 7:36 p.m.)
Northwestern (12–1) is led by future Texas A&M linebacker and four-star prospect Tamarion Watkins, while Irmo (12–1) features one of the nation’s top defenders in five-star EDGE Jaiden Bryant.
It sets up one of the most intriguing matchups of the weekend, and it comes with a long list of South Carolina targets particularly on the Irmo side.
The Yellow Jackets bring several young players firmly on Carolina’s radar, starting with 2027 four-star OT Nate Carson, who visited Columbia three times this fall and named South Carolina his top school about a month ago.
Irmo also features 2029 WR Corey Miller, who earned an offer from the Gamecocks after a game-day visit this season and already holds an offer from Cincinnati. His older brother, 2027 three-star WR Maleek Miller, does not yet hold a South Carolina offer but visited twice this year and has multiple Power Five opportunities.
Another rising prospect to know is 2029 IOL Malachi Watson, a 6-foot, 280-pound interior lineman whom I spoke with at the UA Next game in January. Watson was also at Shane Beamer’s summer camp and remains a long-term name to monitor.
On the Northwestern side, there are currently no active Gamecock targets, but it’s worth noting that Watkins was once considered a strong South Carolina lean before committing to Texas A&M. Carolina continued to push for a flip late into the cycle. Watkins visited for the Clemson game, as Gamecock Central previously reported, but he ultimately stayed with his A&M pledge on national signing day.
South Pointe vs. South Florence (Saturday, 12:06 p.m.)
Another top-tier matchup follows Saturday afternoon as South Pointe (13–1) meets South Florence (13–1). This game, too, leans heavily toward South Carolina’s recruiting interests through the Stallions.
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South Pointe is headlined by Gamecock DB commit J’Zavien Currence, who will play quarterback on Saturday. He’ll be handing off to 2029 RB Rasean Brown, a standout from the UA Next game who has made several South Carolina visits this year. Up front, future Gamecock IOL Anthony Baxter anchors the Stallions’ offensive line.
Defensively, 2027 four-star DT Seth Tillman a top-200 national prospect, will once again be a player of note. He was in town for the Clemson game and remains one of Carolina’s most important defensive line targets in the class. Another potential target to keep an eye on is 2027 WR Malik Ratliff, who also attended the Clemson game and holds offers from North Carolina, Charlotte, Marshall, and others.
Dutch Fork vs. Summerville (Saturday, 7:36 p.m.)
Saturday night closes the weekend with one of the most talent-heavy games on the entire schedule as No. 2 Dutch Fork meets No. 6 Summerville in the 5A Division I championship.
Dutch Fork features several major Gamecock targets notably soon-to-be five-star EDGE and new South Carolina flip Julian Walker, who will be one of the most impactful players on the field. He’ll line up alongside 2027 three-star EDGE Jaden Wuerth, a rising prospect originally from Augusta, Ga., who has had South Carolina high on his list and already made a visit to Columbia this year.
The Silver Foxes also have two younger players worth tracking: 2029 CB Taddrick Gibson Jr., who impressed at the UA Next event, and 2028 IOL Brody Lorenzo, who holds an NC State offer and visited South Carolina for the Vanderbilt game.
Summerville counters with a pair of significant prospects as well. 2027 four-star WR Jaiden Kelly-Murray has been a priority target for the Gamecocks and has visited campus multiple times, with South Carolina consistently among his top schools. His teammate, 2028 WR Teru Davis, has also drawn interest from the Gamecock staff and visited Columbia several times this year.
This weekend offers one of the best concentration points of in-state talent all year, with South Carolina commits, priority targets, and emerging underclassmen all taking center stage in Orangeburg. I’ll have full in-game updates, player notes, and photo coverage throughout the weekend on Gamecock Central as the state’s best compete for championship hardware.