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On this page, we'll be tracking class of 2016 defensive targets, offers and commitments for the South Carolina Gamecocks as the rising seniors continue to mull their offers and prepare for their final year of high school. It will be updated frequently, so bookmark this page and check back often for the latest.
Star ratings are from Rivals.com. *--offer; **--commitment
Click to jump to a section: LB | DB | DE | DT
Linebackers (COMMITMENTS: 2)
| Christion Abercrombie | College Park (Ga.) Westlake | 6'0" | 212 | 2 stars |
| Jeffrey Allison | Fairbun (Ga.) Langston Hughes | 6'0" | 235 | 2 stars |
| Daniel Bituli* | Nashville (Tenn.) Christian | 6'2" | 218 | 4 stars |
| Ja'Quain Blakely | Colquitt County (Ga.) | 6'2" | 210 | 3 stars |
| P.J. Blue* | Montgomery (Ala.) Park Crossing | 6'4" | 201 | 4 stars |
| Cameron Brown | Potomac (Md.) Bullis School | 6'6" | 210 | 4 stars |
| T.J. Brunson* | Columbia (S.C.) Richland Northeast | 6'0" | 220 | 3 stars |
| Devin Bush* | Pembroke Pines (Fla.) Flanagan | 5'11" | 224 | 4 stars |
| Michael Divinity* | Marrero (La.) John Ehret | 6'2" | 213 | 4 stars |
| Donta Evans | Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer | 6'2" | 221 | 3 stars |
| Nathaniel Evans | New Orleans (La.) John Curtis | 6'1" | 235 | 3 stars |
| C.J. Greenlee | Seneca (S.C.) | 6'0" | 230 | 2 stars |
| Aaron Hansford* | Washington (D.C.) St. John's College High | 6'2" | 210 | 4 stars |
| Bryce Huff | Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's | 6'2" | 240 | 2 stars |
| Jonathan Jones* | Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ridge | 6'0" | 207 | 3 stars |
| Keion Joyner* | Havelock (N.C.) | 6'4" | 220 | 5 stars |
| Tre Lamar* | Roswell (Ga.) | 6'3" | 240 | 4 stars |
| Tobias Little* | Atlanta (Ga.) Mays | 6'0" | 236 | 3 stars |
| Jeremiah Littles | Wayne County (Ga.) | 6'2" | 225 | no stars |
| Elysee Mbem-Bosse* | Ellenwood (Ga.) Cedar Grove | 6'2" | 228 | 4 stars |
| Jacorey Morris** | Clarke County (Ala.) | 6'3" | 220 | 3 stars |
| Aaron Ramseur | Shelby (N.C.) Crest | 6'0" | 215 | no stars |
| Tyric Reid | Eustis (Fla.) | 5'11" | 243 | 2 stars |
| Kenneth Ruff* | Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard | 6'1" | 236 | 3 stars |
| Jonathan Smith | Scotland County (N.C.) | 6'1" | 220 | 3 stars |
| Brandon Tillmon | Lexington (S.C.) River Bluff | 6'1" | 205 | 2 stars |
| Will Ward | Allendale Fairfax (S.C.) | 6'0" | 188 | no stars |
| Sidney Willis | Central Gwinnett (Ga.) | 6'1" | 215 | no stars |
| Lyndell Wilson* | Montgomery (Ala.) Carver | 6'1" | 235 | 5 stars |
Where We Stand
8/20/2014: Commitment from Jacorey Morris
Morris wasn't the first commitment for the 2016 class (even though he pledged early): that honor goes to Kyle Davis, but Davis has reopened his recruitment.
7/4/2015: Kash Daniel commits to Kentucky over USC and Louisville.
Happy and blessed to say I am committed to the University of Kentucky! #BBN ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Gz1aQtNAL4
— Kash Daniel (@KashDaniel15) July 4, 2015
7/25/2015: Commitment from P.J. Blue.
Defensive Backs (COMMITMENTS: 3)
| Brandon Alexander | Madison (Ala.) Bob Jones | 5'11" | 165 | no stars |
| Mason Alstatt | Lexington (Ky.) Lafayette | 5'11" | 190 | 2 stars |
| Roy Baker | Hialeah (Fla.) American | 6'2" | 170 | 2 stars |
| Marcelino Ball | Roswell (Ga.) | 5'11" | 185 | 2 stars |
| Cycoby Burch | Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ridge | 6'1" | 185 | 3 stars |
| K.J. Chamberlain | Greenwood (S.C.) Emerald | 6'1" | 190 | 2 stars |
| Marlon Character* | Atlanta (Ga.) Grady | 6'0" | 173 | 4 stars |
| Adrian Clark | Camden (N.J.) Wilson | 6'1" | 200 | no stars |
| Devron Davis | Merced CC (JUCO) | 6'0" | 210 | 3 stars |
| Ben DeLuca | Orlando, FloridaBishop Moore | 6'0" | 185 | no stars |
| Deon Edwards | Lake Minneola (Fla.) | 6'0" | 195 | 3 stars |
| JJ Givens** | Mechanicsville (Va.) Atlee | 6'1" | 165 | 3 stars |
| Javon Jackson* | Tyrone (Ga.) Sandy Creek | 5'11" | 180 | 3 stars |
| Tre Jackson* | Baton Rouge (La.) University Laboratory School | 5'10" | 178 | 3 stars |
| Brandon Jones* | Nacogdoches (Tex.) | 5'10" | 185 | 4 stars |
| Thomas Jones* | Laurens (S.C.) | 6'3" | 190 | 3 stars |
| Jermarius Jordan | Bessemer (Ala.) City High School | 5'8" | 176 | 3 stars |
| Nigel Knott* | Madison (Miss.) Germantown | 6'0" | 170 | 4 stars |
| Khalil Ladler* | Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy | 5'11" | 168 | 4 stars |
| Nick McCloud | Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe | 6'2" | 166 | 3 stars |
| Henry Miller | Kissimmee (Fla.) Gateway | 6'3" | 195 | 3 stars |
| Trayvon Mullen* | Coconut Creek (Fla.) | 6'2" | 156 | 4 stars |
| Daniel Pruett | Inman, South CarolinaChapman | 5'10" | 170 | no stars |
| David Rucker | Vermillion (Minn.) CC (JUCO) | 6'1" | 205 | no stars |
| Dylan Singleton* | Lawrenceville (Ga.) Archer | 5'11" | 175 | 3 stars |
| Chris Smith* | Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe | 5'10" | 168 | 2 stars |
| Isaiah Stallings* | Fayetteville (N.C.) Terry Sanford | 6'4" | 200 | 3 stars |
| Nigel Warrior* | Suwanee (Ga.) Peachtree Ridge | 5'11" | 189 | 4 stars |
| Martial Washington | Liberty County (Ga.) | 6'1" | 207 | no stars |
| JoeJuan Williams* | Nashville (Tenn.) Father Ryan | 6'3" | 195 | 4 stars |
| Derrek Williams II | Winston Salem (N.C.) North Forsyth | 5'10" | 180 | no stars |
| Johnny Willis | Brandon (Miss.) | 5'10" | 170 | no stars |
| Lamar Woods | D. W. Daniel (S.C.) | 6'1" | 185 | no stars |
Where We Stand
7/25/2015: Commitment from Marlon Character
7/24/2015: Commitment from Chris Smith
6/13/2015: Commitment from JJ Givens
I am honored and blessed to say im 100% committed to the University of South Carolina! #WeCocky pic.twitter.com/PQZ7EupUOY
— JJ Givens (@RegimeJay) June 14, 2015
--Tre Jackson, the son of former Florida WR and Spurrier protege Jack Jackson, is trending strongly toward South Carolina. He's likely to be recruited as an WR despite playing DB as well in high school. One of the bigger names, though, being linked to USC is four-star Marlon Character.
VT SC and OSU top three
— Marlon Character Jr. (@riptrizzle) May 24, 2015
Defensive End (COMMITMENTS: 1)
| Micheal Boykin | Carrollton (Ga.) | 6'6" | 248 | N/A |
| Zo Bridges | Opelika (Ala.) | 6'1" | 210 | 3 stars |
| Brian Burns* | Plantation (Fla.) American Heritage | 6'5" | 217 | 3 stars |
| Antonneous Clayton* | Dooly County (Ga.) | 6'4" | 218 | 4 stars |
| Jamil Dukes | Mooresville (N.C.) | 6'5" | 304 | no stars |
| Griffin Gentry | Homewood (Ala.) | 6'1" | 250 | 2 stars |
| Jordan Giberti* | Gainesville (Fla.) | 6'3" | 225 | 3 stars |
| Zack Gilbert | Charlotte (N.C.) South Mecklenburg | 6'0" | 241 | 3 stars |
| Emmit Gooden | Brownsville (Tenn.) Haywood | 6'3" | 261 | 4 stars |
| Seth Ham | Columbia (S.C.) Cardinal Newman | 6'2" | 190 | 2 stars |
| Norman Hand Jr. | Colleton County (S.C.) | 6'3" | 230 | 2 stars |
| Javon Kinlaw* | Goose Creek (S.C.) | 6'5" | 275 | 3 stars |
| Shavar Manuel | Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy | 6'3" | 262 | 5 stars |
| Mykelle McDaniel* | Loganville (Ga.) Grayson | 6'4" | 255 | 3 stars |
| Connor Murphy | Phoenix (Az.) Brophy Prep | 6'7" | 255 | 3 stars |
| Jachai Polite* | Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland | 6'4" | 230 | 3 stars |
| Kalan Ritchie* | Georgia Military College (JUCO) | 6'6" | 233 | 3 stars |
| Cecil Stallings* | Atlanta (Ga.) Chamblee | 6'4" | 250 | 3 stars |
| Jimmie Taylor | Southwest-Onslow (N.C.) | 6'3" | 220 | 3 stars |
| Terry Thomas | McDonough (Ga.) Luella | 6'2" | 245 | no stars |
| Chris Willis | Shelby (N.C.) Crest | 6'2" | 230 | no stars |
| Jordan Woods* | North Marion (Fla.) | 6'3" | 235 | 4 stars |
Where We Stand
7/17/2015: Commitment from Cecil Stallings
7/6/2015: Jordan Woods lists USC in his top six: "I love Coach Steve Spurrier...I can make an immediate impact (at South Carolina)."
Big list for sure. The Gamecocks have some good depth at end right now, but are looking forward to the future and the next DE to take the mantle. In-state Javon Kinlaw appears to be a good USC lean at this time but hasn't made anything official. Kalan Ritchie still looks to be honoring his original commitment he made prior to deciding to turn JUCO a couple of years ago. Another possible USC lean: Cecil Stallings.
Defensive Tackle
| Michail Carter* | Jackson (Ga.) | 6'3" | 288 | 4 stars |
| Rashan Gary* | Paramus (N.J.) Catholic | 6'5" | 290 | 5 stars |
| Jamahl Johnson | Savage (Minn.) Prior Lake | 6'1" | 319 | no stars |
| Dexter Lawrence* | Wake Forest (N.C.) | 6'4" | 340 | 5 stars |
| Nick McCann | Texarkana (Ark.) | 6'3" | 290 | 3 stars |
| Kevin McCrary | Daytona Beach (Fla.) Mainland | 6'1" | 250 | 3 stars |
| Nyles Pinckney* | Seabrook (S.C.) Whale Branch | 6'3" | 290 | 4 stars |
| Aaron Thompson* | Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Dillard | 6'2" | 260 | 3 stars |
| Darius Whitfield* | Mobile (Ala.) St. Paul's | 6'1" | 268 | 4 stars |
Where We Stand
Not a lot of names on this particular list, even with a pair of seniors starting on each side. Obviously, they stand a greater of chance of getting a few of these players than others. One name to watch: Antwuan Jackson, who has the Gamecocks in his top 10 but not currently in the lead.
UPDATE (7/9/15): Jackson has named Ohio State, Auburn and Georgia in his top three. Count Derrick Brown out too, as his top four includes Alabama, Auburn, Georgia and Tennessee.