Gamecocks hit on another in-state Blue Chipper as Josiah Thompson commits to South Carolina
Long-time priority South Carolina football target and long-time Gamecock lean Josiah Thompson has officially made his intentions known.
The Dillon (S.C.) class of 2024 four-star offensive tackle announced his pledge to South Carolina Friday morning, a commitment over two years in the making after the Gamecocks were first to offer Thompson on Nov. 2, 2020.
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“Coach Beamer is doing a great job,” Thompson told On3 last year. “He is catching a lot of eyes with what he is doing at South Carolina. He has a great bond with his players and he is making the team better.”
The 6-foot-6.5, 275-pounder chooses South Carolina over finalists Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee and Miami.
Thompson was recruited to Carolina officially by his future position coach Lonnie Teasley and area recruiter Jimmy Lindsey, though former o-line coach Greg Adkins and offensive line player personnel assistant Sam Serbay also deserve a ton of credit in the long process.
“What I love about their o-line is they play with tempo,” Thompson told Gamecock Central in November. “They fire off the ball. I love how they work together.”
The commitment of Thompson not only gives South Carolina another Blue Chip pledge but means a clean sweep of the top three prospects in the Palmetto State. The Gamecocks also landed Dorchester (S.C.) Woodland four-star offensive tackle Kam Pringle and Greenville (S.C.) four-star wide receiver Mazeo Bennett this calendar year.
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The On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies., ranks Thompson between the two prospects with Pringle first and Bennett third in the state.
Pringle and Thompson form one of the best tackle duos in the same class that the state has ever seen, at least during the recruiting rankings era with Pringle checking in as the No. 2 offensive tackle in the country.
It also means the Gamecocks are now 4-for-4 on their 2024 in-state targets who have committed and 3-for-3 on in-state OL targets with the inclusion of Greenville (S.C.) three-star OL Blake Franks.
A national prospect as well, Thompson is ranked the No. 51 overall prospect and No. 4 offensive tackle in his class.
On3, which has its own set of rankings, is even higher on Thompson, ranking him as the No. 19 prospect in the country, the No. 2 OT, and the top prospect in the Palmetto State.
Thompson’s commitment continues what is arguably the best recruiting start in school history.
The Gamecocks now have seven commitments, six of whom are four-star prospects.
Quarterback Dante Reno committed to South Carolina last summer while Pringle, tight end Michael Smith, and linebacker Wendell Gregory committed in January before Bennett, a former Tennessee pledge, committed in February. Franks committed a couple of weeks ago and then Thompson on Friday.
