Four-star, in-state prospect decommits from South Carolina

On Sunday, four-star tight end Jamel Howse decommitted from the University of South Carolina, he told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett. Howse confirmed Fawcett’s report on social media.

A Newberry High School product, Howse was one of the first commits in the Gamecocks’ 2026 recruiting class, having pledged his services to the home-state program over a year ago.

The 6-4, 240-pound tight end is the No. 307 overall player in the country, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking. He is No. 14 nationally among tight ends and No. 7, regardless of position, in South Carolina.

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During the 2025 season, South Carolina has struggled on offense. In response to the struggles, head coach Shane Beamer dismissed offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley and shifted tight ends coach Shawn Elliott to the position room. Back in June, Howse told GamecockCentral that he was “100% locked in” with USC. He also said that he and Elliott had a bond that was “tight.”

Because of Howse’s decommitment, South Carolina now has just 15 players committed in the class of 2026. The Gamecocks still rank 17th nationally in the Rivals Team Recruiting Rankings for the ’26 cycle.

USC has another tight end pledged in the class. In September, Caden Ramsey, another in-state four-star, committed to the program.

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