Gamecocks recruiting tear continues as top in-state receiver commits to South Carolina
From the moment Greenville (S.C.) class of 2024 four-star ATH Mazeo Bennett decommitted from Tennessee in December, it seemed like only a matter of time before he joined the Gamecocks class.
That day is today as the high-priority South Carolina football target announced his pledge to the Gamecocks.
The commitment is the result of the long-time pursuit of South Carolina wide receivers coach Justin Stepp who offered Bennett in October of 2021 making South Carolina the first Power 5 school to offer the big-play receiver.
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“The consistency in the program with recruiting me,” Bennett recently said to On3 when asked what stands out about Carolina. “They never stop. That’s the one thing I can say: they never stop coming. They never stop trying to get me, so that’s one thing I respect about them.”
“We try to talk every day,” he added. “They definitely make an effort to come see me, come through my school as often as they can. We definitely try to talk a lot.”
At the time of Bennett’s original commitment to Tennessee this past October, his top eight also consisted of South Carolina, Alabama, Florida State, Oregon, North Carolina, Georgia and Miami.
He recently added Stanford and Michigan State to his schools of consideration but told On3 earlier this week that the Gamecocks were on top.
“South Carolina was No. 1 for me for a good while after I decommitted from Tennessee,” Bennett told On3. “They still are.”
His offer list contains all of those schools and then some.
Though he’s a wide receiver all the way for the Gamecocks, the 5-foot-11.5, 175-pound Bennett is ranked as an “athlete” on On3 due to his ability to excel at both receiver and cornerback.
The On3Consensus, which equally averages the ratings from all four of the major recruiting sites including On3, ranks Bennett as the No. 199 overall prospect, No. 20 “athlete” and No. 3 prospect in the state of South Carolina.
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The commitment of Bennett continues an incredible tear to start the 2024 recruiting cycle for Shane Beamer and Co.
South Carolina now has five commitments, all four-star prospects, in its class.
Quarterback Dante Reno committed to South Carolina last summer while offensive tackle Kam Pringle committed two Sundays ago, tight end Michael Smith committed last Tuesday, and linebacker Wendell Gregory committed last Friday.
