South Carolina Gamecocks are no strangers to freshmen stepping up and making an immediate impact, with standout performances last season from Dylan Stewart and Josiah Thompson, both of whom were named to the SEC All-Freshman team. Stewart even earned a spot as a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award. With that in mind, the question arises: which freshmen from the 2025 class will have a similar impact?
The answer could lie in wide receivers Malik Clark and Lex Cyrus, who are poised to contribute early. Last year, the Gamecocks struggled to have a wide receiver exceed 400 yards, so Clark and Cyrus will be crucial in helping their talented quarterback, LaNorris Sellers, find success. Both are dynamic deep threats who could provide Sellers with much-needed options on the field.
Clark, a four-star recruit ranked as the second-best player in South Carolina by 247Sports, is known for his speed, having clocked a 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the Under Armour Next camp. Meanwhile, Cyrus, also a four-star recruit from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is a former track star with a personal best of 10.4 seconds in the 100 meters. His ability to stretch the field will be a significant asset to the offense.
Another name to watch is Shedrick Sarratt Jr., a promising four-star offensive tackle who could quickly step into a starting role following Vershon Lee’s decision to enter the NFL draft. With a solid 6-foot-4, 300-pound frame, Sarratt is ranked as the fifth-best player in South Carolina by 247Sports and is a prime candidate to solidify the right tackle position in 2025.
South Carolina’s 2025 recruiting class is currently ranked 22nd in the nation by 247Sports, with a total of 18 new recruits joining the roster. As the season progresses, we’ll see if any of these freshmen can follow in the footsteps of players like Stewart and make an immediate impact for the Gamecocks.
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South Carolina Secures Tough, Battle-Tested Transfer Portal O-Lineman
On Monday, South Carolina football secured its third transfer portal offensive lineman of the offseason with the commitment and signing of Boaz Stanley, a 12-game starter at Troy this past season.
Stanley, a junior college All-American at Georgia Military in 2022, was sidelined for much of the 2023 season due to injury. However, in 2024, he emerged as a starter for Troy, contributing significantly at both center and right tackle.
In his first year at the FBS level, Stanley allowed only two sacks and committed no penalties in nearly 800 snaps. Although somewhat overlooked in rankings, the 6’4”, 310-pound lineman is a valuable addition.
Stanley, a native of Georgia, is versatile enough to play any position on the offensive line for South Carolina, and his adaptability could lead to competition for multiple starting spots. Given the players the Gamecocks have pursued in the portal, it is likely he will initially play on the interior of the offensive line.
Stanley has two or three years of eligibility remaining, depending on how the NCAA handles former junior college players in the future.
South Carolina’s offensive line had an inconsistent 2024 season, though it showed improvement as the year progressed. The Gamecocks will lose their three interior starters (Vershon Lee, Torricelli Simpkins, and Kamaar Bell) to graduation.
Stanley becomes South Carolina’s ninth transfer portal commitment this cycle. He joins fellow offensive linemen Nick Sharpe (Wake Forest) and Rodney Newsom (Western Kentucky), defensive tackle Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy (Texas A&M), linebacker Shawn Murphy (Florida State), tight end Jordan Dingle (Kentucky), EDGE Jaylen Brown (Missouri), defensive back Myles Norwood (Ball State), and quarterback Air Noland (Ohio State).
With Stanley’s commitment, the Gamecocks have successfully met their goal of adding three offensive linemen during this portal cycle.
