South Carolina losing another veteran O-lineman to transfer portal
South Carolina football is losing another notable offensive lineman to the portal.
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Tree Babalade plans to enter the transfer portal, per Tuesday morning reports from 247Sports and On3 Sports. He is the third lineman who started games in 2025 to leave Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks.
Babalade started 2025 as a backup but appeared in seven games with five starts mid-season at right tackle. He joins Trovon Baugh (RG) and Cason Henry (RT) as offensive linemen who started for USC in 2025 and will enter the portal.
South Carolina underwent a position coaching change at OL in 2025. Beamer fired coach Lonnie Teasley mid-season, and USC hired new offensive line coach Randy Clements from TCU earlier this month.
Clements was the preferred OL coach for Kendal Briles, who also came to the Gamecocks from TCU and replaced Mike Shula as offensive coordinator.
Babalade is a former four-star and top 250 recruit from Maryland. His given name is Oluwatosin, but he prefers to go by his nickname, Tree. Babalade decommitted from South Carolina a month before signing day in 2022 before recommitting to the Gamecocks the day before he signed.
He appeared in 22 games (15 starts) across four seasons.
Babalade becomes the eighth scholarship player at South Carolina to announce their intentions to hit the portal, which officially opens on Jan. 2.
South Carolina football 2025 portal entries
- TE Michael Smith
- WR Brian Rowe Jr.
- DL Zavion Hardy
- LB Jaron Willis
- OL Nick Sharpe
- OL Trovon Baugh
- OL Cason Henry
- OL Tree Babalade
This story was originally published December 23, 2025 at 11:12 AM.
