Despite putting together the 17th ranked class nationally South Carolina once again finds itself having to compare their work to the juggernauts in their conference with the 7th ranked class in the SEC. South Carolina has been looking for the coach to help finally push them past the “little brother” role in the SEC and after a hot start it’s beginning to look like Beamer may be that man. Despite powerhouses all over their recruiting footstep in Clemson, Georgia, Alabama, and the Florida schools South Carolina has been able to not only keep up but exceed expectations with their recent class. Let’s break down the class that South Carolina hopes is the beginning of the program taking the next step.
Best Overall: Nyckoles Harbor
ATH- Tight End/Edge, Archbishop Carroll High School (Washington DC)
Harbor was a hot name to watch when signing day came around and for good reason- it’s hard to think of someone in recent classes anywhere near his level of athleticism. He’s in a league all on his own as he’s been clocked at a 10.28 100m speed, good enough to make it out of the preliminary rounds if he was at the 2020 Olympics. On top of his speed he’s god the size and strength to be one of the nation’s top Tight End and Edge players even while playing significant snaps both ways. He’s got very good mental processing, play strength, and competitive toughness to match his physical characteristics and it’s clear why South Carolina was pushing so hard for him this cycle. He’s a generational prospect who’s biggest concern is he might be a little too fast and decide a career as an Olympic sprinter is a bit safer than football.
I like him best as a TE and given the number of DL in the rest of their class I’m sure South Carolina will feel the same. The program already helped launch Jaheim Bell into a household name and is sure to utilize Harbor as much as possible. Expectations are high but he’s certainly going to be in contention for the Mackey by his junior year. He’s easily an NFL caliber player and may even be a central focus of South Carolina’s offensive plan as a freshman.
https://twitter.com/Hudl/status/1621304207885090816
Most Underrated: Tosin “Tree” Babalade
Offensive Tackle, DeMatha Catholic High School (Hyattsville, MD)
Tree has a lot to be excited about- good height, very good length, and a good frame to work with. He’s got a quick initial punch and quick feet to get through his set points and mirror speed rushers. He’s got a great pedigree coming from a top program in the nation that plays plenty of other schools with Power 5 talent on their line and it shouldn’t take him long to adjust to the next level. There’s not much you can knock on this kid outside of him having that fire deep in him but that has more to do with the fact he’s such a good kid that won’t ever bring a headache to the team than a lack of love for the game. He’ll need a season to develop but there’s not many teams in the nation that wouldn’t be ecstatic to have him starting at LT even as a sophomore.
I think the recruiting sites really have this one wrong and he’s a better player than people give him credit for- they’re confusing a lack of offers from the big time schools for a lack of skill (and even then he’s got PSU, OSU, and UF on his offer sheet). His hand placement isn’t perfect off the snap but it doesn’t matter as much when you move as well as he does given his size. He’s not really the prototypical mauler tackle the SEC is known for but his pass protection skills translate well into South Carolina’s offense. He may end up having the best career of anyone in their class by nature of his skillset alone.
https://twitter.com/_Bigtree23/status/1621595601614798848
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Most Important Pickup: Xzavier McLeod
Defensive Line, Camden High School (Camden, SC)
A true defensive lineman that could play any spot in a 3-4 or 4-3. Very good frame with very good height and weight and will give even the longest and strongest OL trouble. Elite play strength, able to knock back blockers that normally anchor well in pass protection and prevents linemen from generating any drive on run plays. Threatens to strip the ball even on solo tacklers as his strength lets him bring down most runners even with an arm tackle. He lacks a well-rounded pass rush kit but his power allows him to be effective on almost every snap. Another player with a high ceiling that still has a solid floor to work from.
It’ll be interesting to see where McLeod ends up playing for South Carolina but I could see him as their Nose Tackle or the Strong-Side Defensive End. He adds a lot of power to a recruiting class that’s got plenty of speed rushers in it. His presence will require linemen to have a well-balanced toolkit to defend against speed and power rushes if they can get McLeod active on twists and stunts to vary his matchups. Football is won in the trenches and securing McLeod is going to give South Carolina a chance in every game he plays significant snaps in. His commitment comes over top programs in Michigan and Georgia so this is just as big a win off the field for Beamer and McLeod will provide on the field.
https://twitter.com/NorthFreshCane/status/1590902666255044608
Name to Watch: Desmond Umeozulu
Edge, Charles Herbert Flowers High School (Upper Marlboro, MD)
Umeozulu continues a strong theme across South Carolina’s class: a player with a high ceiling that lacks the usual trade-off of a low floor. He’s got an elite frame for an edge rusher with good speed and strength to boot. He’s smart off the ball, can set the edge well, and has been well-coached for variable situations such as defending the option. He knows how to leverage his length against the tackle and can wrap up and bring down ball carriers even when contested by linemen. Good mental processing and motor to read plays that break off past him and take the correct angle to chase down the ball carrier. He’s more of a straight-line speed rusher than someone with a developed and varied pass rush kit but his frame and athleticism is a nightmare matchup for any tackle.
He’s more interesting than the other guys in this recruiting class because I think he’s relied a bit more on his athletic tools to win than his peers. That trait is commonly mentioned when explaining why prospects bust but I don’t think that’ll be the case here. Don’t get me wrong, Umeozulu will definitely need some time to polish off his technique and have better hand placement plus a defined pass rush plan. The upside for him? This class is so stacked in the trenches and between the 2022 and 2023 class the school is bringing in more than enough DBs that one or two should pan out so he’ll have plenty of talent around him to cover any potential mistakes. If he can put it all together lines in the SEC are going to have a nightmare matchup with Umeozulu and McLeod coming at them on any given down.
https://twitter.com/ALyon_SC/status/1610426190212304896
One of the other key takeaway from this recruiting class is Beamer is utilizing his connection to the DMV during his time recruiting at Virginia Tech to really bolster his recruiting classes. It’s a smart strategy to target the area which Beamer knows well rather than compete for top talent in Georgia and Florida where plenty of other SEC schools can make their pitch and steal blue-chip players. If his dominance of recruiting the area can continue to develop the team should have a nice pipeline of 4 and 5-star players to help them make their name in the SEC East.
