3 for 3! Dillon’s Josiah Thompson commits to South Carolina for 2024 class
South Carolina football made it a clean sweep of the state’s three top offensive line recruits for the Class of 2024.
Dillon High School rising senior Josiah Thompson announced his commitment to Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks on Friday morning. Thompson picked USC over Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Miami and Tennessee during a ceremony at his high school.
Thompson had hats of all six schools on a table for his announcement. After a short speech in which he thanked family, coaches and teammates, he paused briefly before picking the Gamecocks.
“I chose South Carolina because it felt like a second home to me, especially going to be away from my family, and USC will take care of me,” Thompson said. “The coaching staff, Coach Lonnie (Teasley), Coach (Greg) Adkins, Coach Beamer — they have amazing coaches.”
Thompson said his decision came down to Alabama and South Carolina. Crimson Tide offensive line coach Eric Wolford recruited him when he was at South Carolina. Wolford and former USC head coach Will Muschamp were one of the first schools to offer Thompson.
When Beamer was hired in 2020, the USC staff re-offered him and made him a top priority. The Dillon standout has made multiple visits to South Carolina for games and camps over the past two years.
Thompson plans to be there Saturday for the Gamecocks’ spring game.
“Coach Lonnie and Coach Adkins, they have a lot of schemes for me and they will help me become greater on and off the field,” he said.
Thompson is USC’s seventh commitment for the Class of 2024 and third offensive lineman, joining Woodland’s Kam Pringle and Greenville’s Blake Franks. A graphic making the rounds of social media dubbed the three as the “Great Wall of Carolina.” All three players plan to enroll early.
The Gamecocks also have a commitment from Greenville receiver Mazeo Bennett. With Thompson’s commitment, South Carolina moved up to No. 11 in 247Sports recruiting rankings for Class 2024. Six of USC’s seven commits are ranked as four-star prospects.
Thompson and Pringle are both four-star prospects by 247Sports and ranked in the top 75 nationally. The 6-foot-6, 280-pound Thompson is the No. 2 recruit in South Carolina and 73rd in the country, according to 247Sports Composite, which factors in all of the recruiting services.
“Me, Kam and Blake have close communication,” Thompson said. “I met Kam at a Tom Lemming (recruiting) photo shoot. If you trust your teammates and get to know them well, you will be able to work hard together and achieve something great.”
Thompson, who has been selected to play in the All-American Bowl in Texas, said he told Beamer of his decision after attending Gamecocks’ practice earlier this spring. He didn’t tell his parents right away but told them shortly right after that.
Josiah’s father, Robert Thompson, was a walk-on at USC briefly when Brad Scott was the coach at USC. He said he never pressured his son to go to USC, letting him decide.
Robert Thompson said his son began playing football in a Pop Warner league. He didn’t like it right away, thought about quitting and then suffered a hand injury as a young player.
“He stuck with it and continued to want it,” Robert Thompson said. “At first he was scared to get back out there, but we told him, ‘You’ve got to push yourself,’ and he did just that.
“I think he knows his calling, his potential and knows what he wants to do.”
Thompson is the latest high-profile recruit to come through Dillon, which has been one of the state’s top programs over the past two decades. Former Wildcats offensive linemen DJ Park and Bryce King played with the Gamecocks, as well as receiver Kwinton Smith. But Thompson is already ranked higher than his Dillon predecessors in recruiting services.
Dillon coach Kelvin Roller, who was the school’s offensive coordinator at the time, remembers seeing Thompson as an eighth-grader when he was practicing one of the school’s fields.
Thompson played on junior varsity and practiced with the varsity during the playoffs that year.
“We knew him banging heads with some juniors and seniors when he was in eighth grade that he wasn’t shy of contact and was going to be a good player,” Roller said.
Thompson saw time as a freshman playing behind Avery Hewitt, who went on to play at Campbell University. Roller said it was tough keeping Thompson off the field, even playing behind more experienced players, and raved about his improvement over the past three seasons.
Thompson’s length and power stand out, as well as his work ethic off the field, Roller said.
“He is just a great kid and teammate,” the Dillon coach added. “.... I think his potential is unlimited and he puts in the work. And barring any injury or anything, I think he has a very bright future.”
South Carolina Class of 2024 Football Commitments
July 2, 2022: QB Dante Reno — Windsor, Conn.
Jan. 22: OT Kam Pringle — Dorchester, SC
Jan. 24: TE Michael Smith — Savannah, GA
Jan. 27: LB Wendell Gregory — Marietta, GA
Feb. 3: WR Mazeo Bennett — Greenville, SC
March 31: OL Blake Franks — Greenville, SC
April 14: OL Josiah Thompson — Dillon, SC
This story was originally published April 14, 2023 at 9:07 AM.
