Gamecock defensive tackle target previews busy stretch of official visits

Defensive tackle Felix Hixon of Jackson, Georgia is about to hit the final stretch of his recruiting. He will take all five of his official visits in June and be ready to make his decision in July.

The official visits will be the final pieces of the commitment puzzle forming in Hixon’s mind. He will go into his visits with a little bit of a feeling for which program he will choose.

“I feel like I have an idea, but I’m not going to say much about that part,” Hixon said. “These visits are really going to confirm everything and see where I want to go. I’ll make a decision sometime maybe in July.”

Hixon (6-4, 280) will visit Wisconsin June 4, USC June 7, Illinois June 11, Georgia Tech June 18 and Virginia June 25.

“Just really looking forward to these official visits in June,” Hixon said. “With South Carolina, it’s real good. I’ve been keeping in contact with coach (Jimmy) Lindsey. We talk maybe twice a week. Everything is going great right now. And I talked to coach (Shane) Beamer the other day. Coach Beamer checked up on me and told me the latest things that’s going on around there. If he doesn’t talk to me, he’ll text me about things that are going on.”

Hixon said his parents and younger brother will join him on all the visits. And finally, after months of phone calls, Zoom video chats and FaceTime calls, he gets to meet his recruiters face to face.

“The most important thing on the visits will actually be meeting the coaches,” Hixon said. “Of course, we’ve talked on the phone, but actually being there, talking to the coaches and just the atmosphere around the place. Seeing what they have to offer actually being there.”

Hixon is rated a three-star prospect in the 247Sports Composite and is ranked 43rd nationally among defensive tackles.

Gamecock recruiting notes

• Offensive tackle Jacob Allen (6-6 270) of Princeton, New Jersey plans to announce a commitment at 6 p.m. Thursday. His final list was USC, Boston College, Pitt, Rutgers, Virginia, Miami, Michigan State, Penn State, Duke and Florida.
• USC running back target Ramon Brown of Midlothian, Virginia was offered by Tennessee. He has an official visit set with the Gamecocks for June 7.
• Running back George Pettaway of Norfolk, Virginia, who was offered by USC, did not include the Gamecocks in his top 10. Making the list were Ole Miss, Michigan, Florida, Virginia Tech, Alabama, North Carolina, Auburn, Oregon, Virginia and Penn State.
• USC offered 2023 linebacker Troy Ford Jr. (6-2 233) of Savannah. He’s rated a four-star by 247Sports. Georgia Tech and Notre Dame also have offered.
• Baseball infielder Carson Hornung of Overland Park, Kansas committed to USC.