Gamecocks get late signing day surprise as commit joins up early
On an early signing day largely devoid of drama, South Carolina football got a little excitement late Wednesday, as Alabama offensive lineman JonDarius Morgan reversed course and decided to sign early with the Gamecocks.
Morgan had previously been expected to wait for the regular signing period in February to officially join the program.
A 6-foot-3, 326-pound prospect, Morgan held offers from Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Louisville and Syracuse before committing to South Carolina this June. His recruitment had been relatively under-the-radar for a long time before his film picked him up a slew of offers, with South Carolina the first from the Power 5 ranks.
Playing for Huffman High School, Morgan is rated as a three-star player by the 247Sports composite. He can play both guard and tackle and helped block for an offense that averaged more than 25 points per game.
South Carolina and new head coach Shane Beamer have now signed eight of the program’s nine commitments — South Carolina native TJ Sanders, a defensive lineman, is the only one left at the moment expected to sign in February.
It’s unclear whether Morgan will join four of USC’s other signees from Wednesday in enrolling early at South Carolina or waiting until the summer to join the team.
At the end of Wednesday’s signing flurry, South Carolina’s 2021 class ranks 107th nationally, 14th in the SEC. Beamer said Wednesday the small numbers for this year’s class were by design and that he expects to add recruits and transfers over the next few months.
USC FOOTBALL EARLY SIGNEES
OFFENSE
Caleb McDowell — RB, Leesburg, Georgia
Colten Gauthier — QB, Bethlehem, Georgia
O’Mega Blake — WR/ATH, Rock Hill
Jordan Davis — OL, Fairburn, Georgia
JonDarius Morgan — OL, Birmingham, Alabama.
Sam Reynolds — WR, Alabaster, Alabama
DEFENSE
Marcellas Dial — DB, Woodruff
Nicholas Barrett — DL, Goldsboro, North Carolina
This story was originally published December 16, 2020 at 8:38 PM with the headline "Gamecocks get late signing day surprise as commit joins up early."
