COLUMBIA — South Carolina football added another member to its 2024 recruit class on Tuesday, earning a four-star acceptance from Michael Smith.
Smith, a Savannah, Georgia native, picked the Gamecocks over the top 8 including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee and Texas. He is the No. 6 tight end in the Class of 2024 and No. 134 nationally according to the 247Sports Composite Ranking.
The 6-foot-4, 225-pound tight end is South Carolina’s third engagement for the Class of 2024 and second in the last week. He joins offensive tackle No. 1 Kam Pringle, who announced Sunday, and four-star quarterback Dante Reno. While still early in the 2024 recruitment cycle, the Gamecocks class currently ranks 19th in the country.
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Another top target for 2024, Wendell Gregory, is also set to commit this week on Friday. Gregory, a four-star linebacker, is also from Georgia and will pick from the top 3s of South Carolina, Missouri and Tennessee.
The Gamecocks suffered big off-season losses at the end of the season and are aiming to rebuild the positional group. Both 2022 starters entered the transfer portal, with star Jaheim Bell going to Florida State and Oklahoma’s Austin Stogner returning to the Sooners in 2023. Nate Adkins, the only other tight end to play significant snaps, is ineligible. South Carolina also lost depth at the tight end when senior reserve Traevon Kenion decided to retire from football ahead of the Gator Bowl.
The team picked up two tight ends in the 2023 recruiting class by signing three-star Connor Cox and flipping former Miami three-star signing Reid Mikeska. It also added former Arkansas standout Trey Knox and close Florida player Nick Elksnis from the transfer portal.
The 2023 recruiting class is Coach Shane Beamer’s second since taking over the program in 2021. His 2022 recruiting class ranked 24th in the country and 10th in the SEC, according to the 247Sports Composite. This year’s class ranks No. 16, the program’s highest finish since Class No. 16 in 2012.
South Carolina (8-5, 4-4 SEC) ended the 2022 regular season with historic back-to-back upsets against the top 10 teams. The Gamecocks dominated back then-No. 5 Tennessee and then knocked off no. 8 Clemson in the Rivalry matchup for the first time since 2013. They ended the year with a 45-38 Gator Bowl loss to Notre Dame.
