South Carolina football lands first public commitment in 2023 class
South Carolina football has reeled in its first public commitment in the 2023 class.
247Sports Composite three-star safety Zahbari Sandy announced his commitment to Shane Beamer’s Gamecocks on Sunday. He picked USC over competing offers from West Virginia, Tennessee, Ole Miss and Maryland — the other four schools that made up his top five.
Sandy posted his commitment Sunday evening to social media and indicated that he was shutting down his recruitment with his decision made for South Carolina.
Sandy is a 6-foot-1, 204-pound defensive back who attends St. John’s College High School in Washington, D.C. He’s rated the fourth-best prospect out of D.C. and the 39th safety in his class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
Sandy totaled over 50 tackles with three interceptions last season.
Sandy visited Williams-Brice Stadium last season for the Clemson game and spoke highly about his relationships with Beamer and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray in an interview with Phil Kornblut.
“They like how versatile I am, how I can play corner, safety or nickel,” Sandy said. “They really see me fitting in well with their play style. When I watched them practice, I saw the different coverages they run, and it just fits well.”
The Gamecocks went 7-6 in 2021 and capped off Beamer’s first year as head coach with a dominant win over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Sandy has been impressed by how Beamer has built up USC’s program.
“I really like what Coach Beamer is doing,” Sandy said. “As he came in, his vision was to build a program and build great men, not just football players. Try to get the team where it needs to be to win national championships. I like where he’s going, and I like the people he’s bringing in to help him along the way.”
This story was originally published May 8, 2022 at 6:02 PM.
