In-state receivers emerge as South Carolina targets
With the class of 2024 locked in for South Carolina, the next crop of top in-state targets is starting to emerge, including three Palmetto State underclassman receivers who recently landed an offer from the Gamecocks.
The most recent is Rock Hill (S.C.) class of 2025 wide receiver Malik Clark who scored an offer from South Carolina on Friday.
The 6-foot-2, 170-pounder is one of the first receivers to land an offer from new Gamecocks wide receivers coach James Coley, the veteran assistant who was hired by Carolina this week.
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Clark also has early offers from Maryland, Nebraska, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, ECU, Georgia State, Charlotte, Georgia Southern, and Western Michigan. He’s the early favorite for top receiver in the state for the 2025 class.
South Carolina also recently hopped in with offers for a couple of in-state 2026s.
Irmo (S.C.) wide receiver Donovan Murph landed an offer from South Carolina in mid-December, and also has scholarship opportunities from Tennessee, West Virginia, N.C. State and UNLV.
As a sophomore, the 6-foot-3, 180-pound Murph caught 57 passes for 1,084 yards and 17 touchdowns.
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Murph’s offer came around the same time that South Carolina offered Ridge View class of 2026 receiver Jordon Gidron, his first SEC offer and seventh overall scholarship. Miami, Florida State, and N.C. State have all offered already.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pounder collected 45 receptions for 731 yards and 10 touchdowns as a sophomore this past season.
While the offers to Murph and Gidron were before Coley took over the position, the Gamecocks’ new receivers coach was scheduled to drop by each’s school on Friday before school weather cancelations affected those plans.
South Carolina should be a factor for all three prospects.
Carolina Confidential – Recruiting contact period begins
South Carolina coaches, including head coach Shane Beamer, were scheduled to be back on the road Friday as it’s the first day of a contact period on the NCAA recruiting calendar.
While that would allow for true in-person contact with senior prospects in the past leading up to the February signing day, it is now almost exclusively used for coaches to drop by the high schools of underclassmen targets.
The staff is not allowed to meet directly with those prospects but can “show face,” so to speak, chat with their coaches, or drop by a sporting event.
The plan for Friday was to hit the state of South Carolina, though school closings and basketball game cancelations have altered those plans. Still, we’ll note them below because they give an idea of where the staff’s focus was going to be.
