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Are the Gamecocks ahead of Clemson in football for the 2024 recruiting cycle?

FeatheredCock

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Are the Gamecocks ahead of Clemson in football for the 2024 recruiting cycle?
May 27, 2023


Early rankings say yes! It’s been 11 years since South Carolina football finished ahead of Clemson, its biggest rival, in the 247Sports Composite team recruiting rankings. Could the Gamecocks snap that streak this cycle? With the star-studded 2024 recruiting class coach Shane Beamer and his staff assembling, they’re certainly off to a good start. There’s a long way to go until the December early signing period. But South Carolina’s current signing class ranks No. 10 in the 247Sports Composite which factors in ratings from multiple websites and is considered the industry standard while Clemson is sitting at No. 21. South Carolina is also significantly outpacing Clemson in 247Sports’ average recruit ranking metric, which is based on the average player grade (out of 100) for each recruit in a class. Those grades ultimately determine a player’s star ranking. The Gamecocks’ nine verbal commits have an average ranking of 92.95, while the Tigers’ eight commits have an average ranking of 89.64.

Last year, for the 2023 cycle, Clemson and South Carolina finished No. 11 and No. 16 in the final composite rankings, respectively. That five-spot difference was the closest they’d finished in the rankings since 2017 when Clemson was No. 16 and South Carolina was No. 21 (also five spots)

Gamecocks haven’t finished ahead of its rival in the 247Sports Composite rankings since the 2012 cycle when a 25-player Gamecocks class headlined by wide receiver Shaq Roland and running back Mike Davis finished at No. 15, five spots ahead of No. 20 Clemson.

The Gamecocks which beat Clemson in football for the first time since 2013 last fall in Death Valley ended the 2023 recruiting cycle with a bang by landing five-star Washington, D.C., athlete Nyckoles Harbor, the country’s No. 15 overall recruit, on national signing day in February.

The Gamecocks have continued that trajectory for 2024, most notably with three commitments from in-state offensive linemen who also held Clemson scholarship offers. Four-star Woodland offensive tackle Kam Pringle (No. 44 nationally), four-star Dillon offensive tackle Josiah Thompson (No. 71), and three-star Greenville offensive guard Blake Franks (No. 462) have all opted for the Gamecocks over the Tigers, among other suitors, since January. Even after the recent decommitment of three-star offensive tackle Mike Williams, South Carolina remains at No. 10 in the composite rankings thanks to commitments from five more four-stars, including top 150 Georgia tight end Michael Smith and Georgia linebacker Wendell Gregory.

The top commits in Clemson’s 2024 class are four-star Illinois tight end Christian Bentancur (No. 83), four-star Georgia defensive lineman Hevin Brown-Shuler (No. 205), and four-star Florida cornerback Tavoy Feagin (No. 227). The Tigers were in a similar position last summer. They had four commitments entering June 2022 before adding most of their pledges and star power, including Alabama defensive tackle and No. 33 overall recruit Peter Woods, during a furious summer recruiting stretch.
 
One class is nice, but we need to string together years of better classes. Especially in the trenches. OL and DL are where it's at and we're still lagging there. OL is looking better but still a ways to go. We are on the upswing and need to keep the momentum going.
 
Very true about OL and DL. When we were beating clempson, our OL and DL were much better than theirs. Gotta have talent and depth in the trenches to win.
 
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