Gamecocks flip hometown standout, land his commitment one day before signing day
A chance to stay home and play at South Carolina was too much for Zavier Short to pass up.
The Chapin High School receiver committed to play for the Gamecocks on Tuesday. Short had been committed to Appalachian State in June, but USC offered a scholarship Dec. 1 and was able to land the hometown standout.
Short will sign Wednesday at 11:30 a.m., the first day of the early signing period.
The 6-foot-1 Short becomes the latest Chapin player to continue his career with USC, following Mason Zandi, Will Register and Hank Manos. Short is the 21st high school commitment for the Class of 2022 but Tyrese Ross and Zeb Noland count toward this year’s count, bringing it 23 total.
Although Short played receiver in high school, USC wants to use him in a tight end/h-back role.
“They are actually going to create a position for me,” Short said last week at Touchstone Energy Bowl practice. “I will be in coach (Erik) Kimrey’s room with the tight ends but they will be using me any way I could help.”
Short’s addition continues the strong momentum for USC heading to the beginning of the early signing period. The Gamecocks got commitments from two four-star linebackers in Jaishawn Barham and Stone Blanton. On Monday night, Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler and tight end announced they are headed to USC.
The Gamecocks have had an eye on Short since the spring, and he attended a camp at USC over the summer. South Carolina tight ends coach Erik Kimrey has been handling Short’s recruiting and was at one of Chapin’s games during the fall recruiting period. USC head coach Shane Beamer and offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield also attended a Chapin practice a few weeks ago.
He took an unofficial visit for USC’s game against Auburn. It was his first visit for a Gamecocks game this year.
Beamer and Satterfield stopped by Chapin on Dec. 1 to give him the offer.
“(Kimrey) has just been telling me to keep doing what I am doing because he thinks some other coaches are starting to realize what he sees,” Short told The State earlier this month. “An offer from them would definitely open my eyes and I would heavily consider it just because it’s my hometown school and has always been a dream of mine.”
247Sports ranks Short as a three-star prospect and No. 14 in the state for the Class of 2022. He ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash at a camp at North Carolina State this summer.
Short finished his career the all-time leading receiver at Chapin with 217 catches for 3,391 yards. This season, he led the Eagles this year with 67 catches for 1,038 yards, 14 touchdowns and also had TDs rushing, passing on on special teams.
Short was a Class 5A All-State selection was picked for the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl and Shrine Bowl. He was part of the South’s winning team over the weekend in the Touchstone Cooperatives Energy Bowl.
South Carolina recruiting Class of 2022
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 6:00 PM.
