South Carolina Gamecocks pass on 2023 Jammal Jarrett, four-star OL with 26 offers
Clemson, Georgia, North Carolina, in 6-5, 350-pounder's top five, but Gamecocks seek top talent elsewhere in second season of Shane Beamer campaign
Jamaal Jarrett is a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 6-foot-5, 350-pound Class of 2023 offensive line-defensive lineman combo student-athlete that stars for the Grimsley Whirlies, a 4A North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) pipeline in Greensboro, NC. Finishing 11-1, the Whirlies only fell to the Porter Ridge Pirates in the second round of the “Tar Heel State” tournament in 2021.
Jarrett has 26 offers from the likes of several traditional powerhouses, including Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, Florida, LSU, and Miami.
He announced his top five last week, with survivors including Auburn, Clemson, Georgia, LSU, and North Carolina.
The South Carolina Gamecocks never reached out to the student-athlete from the beginning, but the prospect should provide a blueprint for what Shane Beamer’s program should seek from offensive line prospects in the future.
This outlet hasn't been in contact with Jarrett in nearly one year, but after last reporting his progress in May 2021, Wardlaw University felt that an update on his recruitment was much needed.
Lee Wardlaw reached out to the prospect regarding his potential interest from the Gamecocks. The prospect said that he would consider South Carolina if they were to offer him and that he was impressed with the Gamecocks’ hostile home-field environment at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.
Jarrett also said a few signs existed that South Carolina might have been interested at the time, but it is now clear that the Gamecocks ended up pursuing other targets.
“They have been following me and viewing my social media a lot. I love the environment and the school. I really hope I get an offer,” he said.
Wardlaw University was the only known Columbia area outlet to pursue a story connecting Jarrett and South Carolina. The State, 247 Sports, Gamecock Central, and other local college football recruiting did not have any articles on file. This isn’t surprising considering the fact that the Gamecocks were never listed under Jarrett's interests on 247Sports.com.
Still, credit South Carolina for scouting student-athletes matching Jarrett’s caliber. The Gamecocks are shooting for Zechariah Owens, a 6-foot-5, 365-pound offensive tackle from Eagle's Landing Christian School in McDonough, Georgia, and are considered one of the top candidates to land his services, among others.
Per the rigors of the recruiting process, though, the Gamecocks will have to compete with Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and others to earn a signature from the student-athlete.
Regardless, South Carolina must continue their recruiting grind at the offensive line position. Securing top student-athletes such as Jarrett, Owens, and others is a major priority for the Gamecocks.
Several student-athletes the Gamecocks are recruiting weigh 15-20 pounds under the 300 thresholds, which isn't uncommon at all. That’s still a huge size, and after student-athletes enter South Carolina's training program featuring rigorous training and properly portioned protein-filled team meals, players can bulk up as they chase college degrees and professional football dreams.
However, I would like to see the Gamecocks land 2 to 3 big-name prospects for the 2023 cycle such as Jarrett, Owens, or others.
It’s not the end of the world that South Carolina didn’t reach out to Jarrett, but the school’s top three rivals are seeking the student-athlete’s services, and I’m surprised the Gamecocks didn’t reach out to the player at all but they still have plenty of players on the board.
He’s not the only top option, but the time is now for South Carolina to capitalize at the position.
As any good college football program would, South Carolina is continuing their pursuits of other top prospects for future cycles. The Gamecocks are hot on the recruiting trail in the Palmetto State, coming out of the gate early by offering 6-foot-7, 330-pound Class of 2024 Kam Pringle of Woodland High School, located in Dorchester, SC.
South Carolina struggled at the offensive line throughout 2021. However, the Gamecocks came in clutch down the stretch for nice performances in impressive victories versus Auburn, Florida, and North Carolina. Most of the unit will return under four-star transfer quarterback Spencer Rattler, and the group has the potential to be special.
From a recruiting standpoint, though, South Carolina must continue to place a heavy emphasis on landing big-time monsters such as Jarrett. To reach their prime, programs must place a keen emphasis on signing these colossal student-athletes, who protect their fast and furious “skill position” teammates.
South Carolina has improved, but building the program behind several top-notch classes of offensive lineman is necessary if the Gamecocks plan to compete for state and conference championships against the big boys down the road.
The towering student-athletes that sign to blue-chip schools such as Alabama and Georgia are ever-challenging to compete against. Recruiting the position is a huge factor for separating the “best” from the “rest.”
This is a simple fact that most coaches and fans are already aware of. However, it's a subject of immense importance that must be highlighted by Wardlaw University as second-year head coach Shane Beamer builds his program for the future. We simply can’t ignore it.
SCOUTING REPORT: While Jah starred on both sides of the ball in 2020, Jarrett's film from 2021 only depicts his play on the defensive line.
Perhaps this is a reason that the Gamecocks didn’t pursue Jarrett. However, this shouldn't have necessarily served as a deterrent to recruiting the student-athlete to South Carolina.
Teams typically recruit student-athletes to play beyond their established positions on the high school gridiron. Jarrett's size and skillset would still absolutely fulfill the job description, and it's a position in which he performed well in 2020. Jammal Jarrett recorded 35 tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3 sacks, 2 quarterback hurries, and 2 pass deflections against competitive North Carolina 4A high school competition last fall.
Jarrett can wreak havoc if he breaks free on defense and provides a strong utility option in between the tackles, consistently plugging holes in the trenches. Jah is excellent at stopping advancing QBs and RBs in their tracks while the offensive and defensive lines battle for control of the line of scrimmage.
I'm not completely sold on Jarrett or any student-athlete, but the prospect has unwavering potential. Jah would have been best utilized on the Gamecocks' offensive line.
I am crystal balling Jarrett to the Georgia Bulldogs, where coaches will seek to groom the student-athlete into a role similar to Jordan Davis, who starred for the Bulldogs from 2018-2021, leading the school to a national championship last season behind 32 tackles and 2 sacks.