Spring game surprise! Four-star DB commits to South Carolina
Chester (Va.) Thomas Dale class of 2025 four-star cornerback Shamari Earls provided South Carolina fans with a spring game surprise on Saturday when he announced his verbal commitment to the Gamecocks.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Earls chose South Carolina over offers from Alabama, Georgia, Miami, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, and Southern Carolina among others.
Defensive backs coach Torrian Gray recruited Earls to the Gamecocks.
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Earls is ranked the No. 8 cornerback and No. 62 overall prospect nationally by On3 and is considered the No. 3 overall recruit in Virginia.
The On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average featuring the four major recruiting media sites, ranks Earls as the No. 124 overall prospect in the country and the No. 12 cornerback as well as the No. 4 prospect in Virginia for this recruiting cycle.
“Coaches love my film and love how explosive I am – my size and athleticism,” Earls told On3. “Coaches also say my good grades play a big part in being the complete player they covet.”
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Earls is a three-phase player in high school.
During his junior season at Thomas Dale, he had 29 catches for 715 yards and eight touchdowns, had 172 yards and a touchdown in the return game and he had 25 tackles, three interceptions and four pass breakups.
Earls also excels on the track. Heading into his junior track season, he had a personal best 6.36 second 55 meters. As a sophomore, Earls won the state title in the long jump (23-10.75) with a top 10 distance in the nation.
Earls is the fifth commitment to a Gamecock class that has started to pick up momentum as of late. Counting the Virginia standout, Carolina has landed four pledges in the last 10 days.
