South Carolina lands big pledge from four-star OT from Maryland powerhouse
South Carolina dipped into the DMV for its latest elite recruit.
Four-star offensive tackle Oluwatosin “Tree” Babalade announced his commitment to South Carolina on Friday via social media over perceived front-runners that also included Ohio State, Rutgers, Maryland and North Carolina.
Babalade is rated the No. 273 prospect nationally and No. 25 offensive tackle in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite.
“Just an amazing place,” Babalade said in a video posted to his Instagram. “Great people. Family vibe. Great head coach.”
The Maryland product will head to USC from powerhouse program DeMatha Catholic High School, which also produced Gamecocks running back MarShawn Lloyd and slews of top-end FBS talent over the years.
Babalade has spent ample time in Columbia, taking his official visit on June 10. He followed that trip with visits to Ohio State, Rutgers and Maryland over the rest of the month before making his commitment announcement.
He felt very much at home in Columbia with Shane Beamer, offensive line coach Greg Adkins and the rest of the Gamecocks.
“It was really about the family part,” Babalade said following his official visit. “There’s a lot of schools that have the family part, but I felt it in the room with them. I just felt it the whole time. And the players, I just had whole conversations with them, and it was great.”
South Carolina is slated to lose three of its possible five starters along the offensive line following the 2022 campaign in seniors Eric Douglas, Jovaughn Gwyn and Dylan Wonnum.
USC has attempted to mitigate those departures by signing three offensive lineman in the 2022 recruiting cycle in three-stars Ryan Brubaker, Cason Henry and Grayson Mains.
The Gamecocks are also expected to go heavy on the offensive line in the 2023 cycle. Babalade is the fifth offensive line commitment in South Carolina’s 2023 class along with junior college product Isaiah Jaata, four-star Markee Anderson from Dorman and a pair of three-star Georgia products in Trovon Baugh and Jatavius Shivers.
With Babalade’s commitment, South Carolina now boasts pledges from eight four-star prospects among its 17 commitments, per the 247Sports Composite.
“They just like everything about me,” Babalade said of USC coaches. “They just love me. I just like the energy from them. (Adkins) said he really liked the way I moved. My film was great. He loves my size and how I can move, and he feels he can develop me to a better level.”
USC’s 2023 class currently ranks No. 18 nationally and No. 7 in the Southeastern Conference.
— Phil Kornblut contributed to this story
South Carolina 2023 commits
- RB Dontavius Braswell, Washington County (Ga.)
- OL Oluwatosin “Tree” Babalade, Hyattsville (Md.)
- OL Trovon Baugh, Pace Academy (Ga.)
- OL Isaiah Jatta, Snow College (Utah)
- OL Markee Anderson, Dorman
OL Jatavius Shivers, Villa Rica (Ga.)
- WR Kelton Henderson, Lehigh Acres (Fla.)
- WR CJ Adams, Pebblebrook (Ga.)
- TE Connor Cox, The Bolles School (Fla.)
- ATH Kamron Sandlin, Anniston (Ala.)
- ATH Judge Collier, Legion Collegiate, Rock Hill
- DL Monteque Rhames, Sumter
- LB Grayson Howard, Andrew Jackson (Fla.)
- LB Jaden Robinson, Columbia (Fla.)
- S Jalon Kilgore, Putnam County (Ga.)
- S Zahbari Sandy, St John’s, Washington (DC)
- S Cameron Upshaw, Perry (Fla.)
This story was originally published August 5, 2022 at 2:40 PM.
