He’s a top football prospect in the state. His teammates want him to go to USC
South Carolina football commit J’Zavien Currence is doing his best to try and help with the Gamecocks recruiting class.
That includes working on junior defensive lineman Seth Tillman, one of Currence’s teammates at South Pointe High School in Rock Hill. Currence and South Pointe offensive lineman Anthony Baxter have both committed to the Gamecocks for the Class of 2026 and want Tillman to join them a year later.
“I’m trying to get Seth to South Carolina,” Currence said Friday after the Stallions’ win over AC Flora. “He is a big-time player and makes big-time plays. We need to get him on board.”
Tillman was a force on the defensive line for No. 1 South Pointe in the 35-12 win over No. 4 AC Flora. The junior had six tackles in the game and helped shut down the Falcons over the final three quarters.
“AC Flora came out with everything they had,” Tillman said. “But once we got it, it was over. We locked in and got a bunch of stops we needed and let the offense do their thing. We still got to keep our heads on a swivel and keep it 100 percent. But it feels amazing getting the best team in the conference out of the way.”
Tillman, who’s 6-foot-3 and 260 pounds, continues to climb in the recruiting rankings and is one of the top prospects in the state for the Class of 2027. On3 and 247Sports rank Tillman as the No. 3 prospect in the state for his class and he is ranked in the top 125 nationally.
Which college football programs are recruiting Seth Tillman?
The Gamecocks and Clemson are two of the teams going after Tillman. He recently picked up an offer from Tennessee and has offers from Miami and Nebraska. Georgia also is showing interest.
Tillman will be at this weekend’s Alabama-Georgia game and was at the Bulldogs at Tennessee game earlier this month. He also has made trips to Clemson for the LSU game and to South Carolina for the South Carolina State game.
“What stands out to me about South Carolina and Clemson is they both have outstanding programs and great coaches,” Tillman said. Both places have welcomed me into their family. Both schools place emphasis on player development and academics.”
Tillman said both coaching staffs are in regular contact with him and giving him advice on everything including becoming a better player.
“Everyday they (USC) keep pushing me to get better and what I have to do to get better. They talk to me about my pass rush and my get off and be more confident. They say if I keep doing that then I will be a dawg,” Tillman said. “Clemson, they continue to push me and are on me as much as my coaches.”
Through five games this season, he has 28 tackles and two sacks.
Tillman, who also plays basketball, still is waiting to see what other schools jump into the recruiting process and likely will have a decision sometime during his senior year.
“I am still deciding, I am just waiting. I know I will get more and more interest,” Tillman said. “I just want to take my time and make the best decision for me. I will make my decision before or after next football season.”
This story was originally published September 24, 2025 at 7:30 AM.
