Meet South Carolina football's 2023 summer enrollees

With the start of the 2023 football season on the horizon, members of South Carolina’s squad will be heading back to Columbia for practice in a matter of weeks.

A number of the Gamecocks’ incoming freshmen enrolled early to participate in spring practices but others opted to wait until the summer months to do so.

Here are the 11 players who will join the team as the regular season draws closer.

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Nyckoles Harbor

Bio – Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 225 pounds | Hometown: Washington, D.C.

On3 Industry Rankings – Washington, D.C.: No. 1 | ATH: No. 1 | National: No. 21

Nyckoles Harbor’s commitment to the Gamecocks last season sent shockwaves throughout the college football world. A top-25 prospect nationally, he was also South Carolina’s first five-star recruit since Jordan Burch in 2020.

At Archbishop Carroll High School, Harbor lined up at both tight end and defensive end. Over his final two seasons, he caught 31 passes for 729 yards and 10 touchdowns, while adding 22.5 sacks, 11 forced fumbles and four blocked punts on defense. He is expected to transition to wide receiver upon his arrival to Columbia.

Harbor offers a unique combination of size and speed, which he showed on the track as an elite-level sprinter in high school. He was twice named a Gatorade Player of the Year – in both football and track – and holds the state record in the 100- and 200-meter dash races. He has clocked in at 6.64 seconds in the 60-meter, 10.22 in the 100-meter and 20.63 in the 200-meter dashes.

Vicari Swain

Bio – Height: 6-foot | Weight: 175 pounds | Hometown: Carrollton, Ga.

On3 Industry Rankings – Georgia: No. 19 | ATH: No. 5 | National: No. 203

Like Harbor, Vicari Swain played on both sides of the ball at Central High School in Carrollton, Georgia. He totaled just under 2,000 receiving yards, 17 receiving touchdowns and 13 interceptions during his high school career. He was also a two-sport athlete, spending time on both the gridiron and the diamond as a baseball player.

Unlike his new teammate, though, Swain figures to play a role on defense in the fall. His quickness and athleticism give him the skills necessary to play at safety, corner or receiver, but he will likely end up playing cornerback for the Gamecocks.

Oluwatosin “Tree” Babalade

Bio – Height: 6-foot-5 | Weight: 305 pounds | Hometown: Hyattsville, Md.

On3 Industry Rankings – Maryland: No. 4 | OT: No. 16 | National: No. 221

In Oluwatosin Babalade, South Carolina has a player whose physical makeup and strength alone will allow him to match up well against opposing linemen. He is mobile despite his large frame, something he has shown in camp and game day settings.

Babalade has also worked in high-leverage situations during his high school career, which translates well to facing off against some of the top teams in the country. He was a member of a DeMatha Catholic High School squad that reached the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Capital Division championship game during his senior year.

He’s also the recruit Shane Beamer climbed into a tree to recruit.

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Dontavius “DJay” Braswell

Bio – Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 200 pounds | Hometown: Sandersville, Ga.

On3 Industry Rankings – Georgia: No. 22 | RB: No. 15 | National: No. 247

Heading into the 2023 season, South Carolina’s running back room is wearing thin after the departure of MarShawn Lloyd. Dontavius Braswell has the potential to contribute to the team immediately should his number be called.

During his junior and senior campaigns at Washington County High School, Braswell racked up 2,065 yards on the ground. He added 11 rushing scores during his junior campaign.

Braswell was also a decorated member of the Golden Hawks’ track and field team. He clinched two Georgia 2A state titles as a sophomore, running a 10.75 in the 100-meter dash and a 22.02 in the 200-meter race.

Trovon Baugh

Bio – Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 310 pounds | Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.

On3 Industry Rankings – Georgia: No. 51 | IOL: No. 47 | National: No. 510

Trovon Baugh is another addition to an offensive line group that was bolstered with depth during the offseason.

He played primarily on the right side of the offensive line in high school, seeing snaps at both tackle and guard positions. Last season, he earned All-Region honors as he helped Pace Academy to a spot in the Georgia AAAA playoffs. He was also selected to play in the Under Armour All-America game.

Kelton Henderson

Bio – Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 175 pounds | Hometown: Fort Myers, Fla.

On3 Industry Rankings – Florida: No. 97 | WR: No. 87 | National: No. 584

A common denominator between nearly all of South Carolina’s class of 2023 recruits is speed. Kelton Henderson is a player who fits firmly into that group.

Henderson played on both sides of the football for Island Coast High School in Fort Myers, Florida. In 2021, he gained 222 yards on 10 receptions and 108 yards on 17 rushing attempts, scoring six touchdowns. While he added 20 tackles and an interception on defense, Henderson will play exclusively on offense with the Gamecocks.

During his senior campaign, he led his team to a 5-4 record on his way to earning an invitation to the Under Armour All-America Game.

Zahbari Sandy

Bio – Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 201 | Hometown: Laurel, Md.

On3 Industry Rankings – Washington, D.C.: No. 4 | S: No. 57 | National: No. 610

Dating back to the December early signing period, Zahbari Sandy was one of the first incoming freshmen to publicly commit to the Gamecocks. Sandy spent much of his time at St. John’s College High School playing as a safety.

He is also familiar with Babalade, who he faced off against in last year’s Washington Catholic Athletic Conference championship game. Their head-to-head matchup resulted in a victory for Swain’s squad, as they defeated DeMatha 7-3 to earn their second consecutive conference crown.

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Jatavius Shivers

Bio – Height: 6-foot-7 | Weight: 290 pounds | Hometown: Villa Rica, Ga.

On3 Industry Rankings – Georgia: No. 80 | OT: No. 53 | National: No. 822

Jatavius Shivers is another player who shares commonalities with Babalade, but not because of geographic location. Their similarities lie in where they played along the line in high school – at left tackle, even though Shivers got some looks at right tackle as well.

Shivers was frequently forced into action as a run blocker in high school, as the Villa Rica Wildcats employed a run-heavy spread offense during his time there. He was named to Georgia’s 5A Region 6 Second Team on one occasion.

A former Vanderbilt commitment, South Carolina likes his potential as he gets to college and begins strength and conditioning training.

Elijah Caldwell

Bio – Height: 6-foot-1 | Weight: 190 pounds | Hometown: Rock Hill, S.C.

On3 Industry Rankings – South Carolina: No. 10 | WR: No. 122 | National: No. 867

The lone in-state summer enrollee, Elijah Campbell joins South Carolina after leaving an impression on recruiters during his final high school season.

Campbell totaled 1,365 yards and 20 touchdowns on 77 receptions during his senior campaign at Northwestern High School, leading the team to a 13-2 record and helping them reach South Carolina’s 4A championship game. He was invited to South Carolina’s Shrine Bowl squad, where he was teammates with incoming freshman quarterback LaNorris Sellers.

CJ Adams

Bio – Height: 6-foot-3 | Weight: 210 pounds | Hometown: Mableton, Ga.

On3 Industry Rankings – Georgia: No. 84 | WR: No. 128 | National: No. 882

CJ Adams, whose nickname is “ShowTime”, did it all at Pebblebrook High School. Adams lined up at quarterback, wide receiver and safety for the Falcons’ football team and was also a member of the school’s nationally-ranked basketball program.

His most valuable contributions were made at receiver, a position he transitioned to in 2021. That season, he caught 54 passes for 963 yards and 11 touchdowns and provided an additional 133 yards and four scores on the ground. He would help Pebblebrook reach Georgia’s 7A state playoffs his senior year.

Tyshawn Russell

Bio – Height: 5-foot-11 | Weight: 170 pounds | Hometown: Harrisburg, Penn.

On3 Industry Rankings – Pennsylvania: No. 25 | ATH: No. 51 | National: No. 1170

Many people would label Tyshawn Russell as a late bloomer, especially considering that he did not play wide receiver until his senior year. What he did that season is part of the reason why he has the potential to produce at the next level.

After seeing time at cornerback before making the transition to receiver, Russell finished the 2022 season with 1,334 yards and 22 touchdowns on 61 receptions. He also ended his high school career on a high note, helping Bishop McDevitt High School to reach Pennsylvania’s 4A state championship game.

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