Gamecocks add wide receiver Rodarius Thomas to 2021 recruiting class
Rodarius Thomas’ offer from South Carolina football only arrived in late September.
Less than two weeks later, he’s a member of the 2021 recruiting class.
Thomas, a 6-foot-1, 195-pound product of Eufaula, Alabama, committed to the Gamecocks on Thursday afternoon. He’s the fourth wide receiver in the class and the 17th member overall.
“After having a good talk with my (receivers) coach Jerrell (Jernigan), he was telling me that he thinks I would be a good fit there with the Gamecocks,” Thomas said. “I agreed with him. And after talking Tuesday night with (South Carolina receivers coach Joe Cox), he was telling me that they need me and stuff like that, and that I would be a great fit and great to have me there. And then I just went ahead and took the offer.”
Thomas’s other offers included Western Kentucky, Austin Peay, Coastal Carolina, Missouri State, North Alabama. He said he’s also hearing from Ole Miss, Florida State and TCU.
USC was his first Power 5 offer. He does not have a rating from 247Sports and is a three-star according to Rivals.
Last season, his first playing football, Thomas had 45 catches for 957 yards and 14 touchdowns. This year, he has 33 catches for 611 yards and nine touchdowns. Thomas considers himself a big-play threat, someone who can stretch a defense and make catches over the top of safeties.
“(Cox) said I had great film and keep it up,” Thomas said. “He was watching my last year film, and then he started watching this year’s film, and they gave me an offer. That’s what I was waiting on, and finally I got it. It was like they really need me and stuff like that. I can make plays and I’m a big time player and stuff like that.”
When he was offered, he said USC quickly moved to No. 1 on his list.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Every day I go to practice, I work hard and I was thinking whichever SEC team offers me first I’m going to take it, because that makes me feel like they needed me and they are giving me a chance.”
The other committed wide receivers in the 2021 class are Sam Reynolds, O’Mega Blake and Derwin Burgess. South Carolina projects to have 21 spots in the class and will have to work through roster machinations as everyone on the current roster gets an extra year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
South Carolina’s 2021 class:
RB Caleb McDowell
RB Antario Brown
WR Sam Reynolds
WR Omega Blake
WR Derwin Burgess
ATH Simeon Price
OL Jordan Davis
DL George Wilson
DL Nick Barrett
DL TJ Sanders
LB Bryce Steele
DB Jayden Johnson
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 1:17 PM.
