Son of former Gamecocks quarterback Stephen Garcia announces college choice
.jpg "Former South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia (left) and his son Memphys in 2021")
Want to feel old, Gamecocks fans?
Memphys Garcia, the son of former South Carolina quarterback and fan favorite Stephen Garcia, announced a college commitment Monday.
Memphys Garcia, a 2026 quarterback recruit, said on X he’s signed to play at New Mexico Military Institute, a junior college with an interesting quarterback legacy. Garcia is a graduating senior at Jefferson High School in Tampa, Florida.
That’s the same school that produced his dad, Stephen, a highly touted Class of 2007 recruit who was a productive dual-threat quarterback for Steve Spurrier and USC and is tied for third in program history for starting quarterback wins (20).
Garcia started 34 games at South Carolina, including the team’s famous upset of then-No. 1 Alabama in 2010, before being dismissed midway through his fifth and final season after failing a random substance test that indicated alcohol use.
Garcia — who was suspended five other times during his South Carolina career — remains a close friend and supporter of Shane Beamer’s program and a popular social media personality among fans on X (formerly Twitter).
Memphys was born during his dad’s time on the USC football team.
As his son went into the spring unsigned, Stephen Garcia, 38, said in a message of support: “Someone gonna get a promotion for bringing this kid in … stop sleeping at the wheel on these high school kids.”
Memphys Garcia (6-1, 180) transferred to Jefferson, his dad’s alma mater, ahead of his senior season and had a productive year, flashing some scrambling ability.
He’d rubbed elbows in the recruiting process with schools like USF, UCF, Stetson and Central Michigan in his recruiting process, but Memphys Garcia (who is named for a penguin character in the 2006 movie “Happy Feet”) didn’t sign in December.
Garcia was a varsity team captain at Jefferson and boasted a 3.9 GPA.
He finally found a fit at New Mexico Military Institute, a combo high school/military junior college in Roswell, New Mexico, that boasts some notable quarterback alums: Cowboys star Roger Staubach, Jordan Ta’amu of Ole Miss and, most recently, Vanderbilt’s flashy, Heisman Trophy runner-up QB Diego Pavia.
Memphys Garcia wll play his first season at NMMI this fall.
