5-star pickup! South Carolina football lands Darius Gray commitment
South Carolina has the jewel of its 2026 recruiting class.
The Gamecocks landed a commitment from five-star offensive lineman Darius Gray on Friday night, beating out Clemson, LSU, Ohio State and Tennessee for the services of the 6-foot-3, 285-pounder from Richmond, Virginia.
The 247Sports Composite ranking tabs Gray as the No. 30 overall recruit and the No. 2 interior offensive lineman prospect in America.
And if you go solely by the 247’s Composite rankings, Gray’s rating (0.9851) would be the ninth-highest of any USC signee ever — just above OL Josiah Thompson and just under WR Nyck Harbor.
If he signs with South Carolina in December, Gray will become the fourth five-star prospect to sign with the Gamecocks since coach Shane Beamer took over in 2021, joining Harbor, Thompson and edge Dylan Stewart.
Gray’s pledge comes just a day after four-star offensive lineman Kamari Blair flipped his commitment from South Carolina to Tennessee.
Still, Gray significantly bolsters the Gamecocks’ recruiting class, which entered Friday ranked 22nd nationally and eighth in the SEC.
Gray also becomes the third offensive lineman in the Gamecocks 2026 class, following three-star Anthony Baxter (a Rock Hill product) and four star Zyon Guiles from Hemingway.
South Carolina 2026 football commitments (15)
- Anthony Baxter (OL) — Committed on May 5, 2024
- Keenan Britt (DE) — Committed on Aug. 5, 2024
- Jamel Howse (TE) — Committed on Oct. 5, 2024
- J’zavien Currence (DB) Committed on Oct. 17, 2024
- Zyon Guiles (OL) — committed on March 20, 2025
- Aiden Harris (DL) — committed on June 7, 2025
- Andrew Harris (LB) — committed on June 7, 2025
- KJ Johnson (DB) — committed on June 9, 2025
- Sequel Patterson (WR) — committed on June 26, 2025
- Noah Clark (DL) — committed on July 2, 2025
- Triston Lewis (DB) — committed on July 17, 2025
- Landon Duckworth (QB) — committed on July 18, 2025
- Kosci Barnes (DB) — committed on July 26, 2025
- Amari Thomas (RB) — committed on Aug. 8, 2025
- Darius Gray (OL) —committed on Aug. 22, 2025
