Gamecocks land commitment from punter Mason Love
The South Carolina Gamecocks now have a verbal pledge from punter Mason Love after he made the decision to end the recruiting process on Monday.
“I just called Coach (Shane) Beamer and made it official,” Love told GamecockCentral.com.
The Riverside (Missouri) Park Hill South product took an official visit to Columbia over the weekend. It was his first look at Beamer’s program and put things easily over the top in favor of USC for his services.
“I chose USC because Coach Beamer and Coach Lembo are the best special teams minds in the country and have proven success at developing guys and sending them to the NFL,” Love explained.
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According to Kohl’s Kicking, Mason Love is ranked as the country’s fourth-best punting prospect in the 2024 class.
“Love put on a show at the 2023 Texas Showcase in the spring of 2023. He dominated the camp by winning the punt and field goal competitions at camp. His punt drill work was exceptional and he showed Power Five ability. Love’s hand-to-toe times were at the college level,” Kohl’s said in its scouting report on Love.
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Among Love’s offers were scholarships from Arkansas State, Army, Navy, and California. He previously told GamecockCentral.com on Sunday that his top two consisted of Cal and South Carolina, with a decision to come by the beginning of July.
As it turned out, Love saw no need to wait after realizing that USC was the place for him.
“The Gamecocks are building something special in Columbia and I want to be a part of it,” he said.
Current USC punter Kai Kroeger will be listed as a senior for the 2023 season, but technically has two years of eligibility remaining.
According to the feedback that Love got during his official visit to USC, the staff views him as the heir apparent to Kroeger.
“I think I’d be a great fit in their scheme. Kai has one or two seasons left and they really think I can be the next All-American punter,” Love said on Sunday. “They like my film and they like my technique and mature I am how much I pride myself on my technique. Stretching and recovery is huge for me, so they like that. I’m already starting to get used to that because I know other kickers, they might not stretch as much and, you know, it plays a big factor in kicking.”
