JACKSONVILLE—Jax State football coach Charles Kelly announced the addition of 23 players that signed to play for the Gamecocks.
Ten are high school seniors that signed agreements today, two are early enrollees and 11 were signed out of the transfer portal.
"I give a lot of credit to everyone in our organization, not only our on-field coaches that to a tremendous job evaluating these prospects," said Kelly. "We had to speed the evaluation process up because that's the key to recruiting and making sure you're recruiting the right people. I give our staff a ton of credit for being able to do it on a time crunch."
Twelve of the signees are from the state of Alabama with seven from Georgia, and six from Florida. Of the high school seniors that signed today, five are on defense, four are on offense, and Jameson Scissum is listed as an athlete.
The Gamecocks are the defending Conference USA Champions and are coming off their second consecutive bowl game appearance in two seasons at the FBS level.
February 2025 Signees:
Khari Bendolph
Linebacker | Naples HS | Naples, Fla.
Recorded 112 tackles with 10 for loss, and four sacks. Also forced four fumbles and blocked two field goals. Earned First-Team Naples Daily News All-Area honors and helped his team reach the state semifinals for the first time since 2018.
JQ Brooks
Cornerback | Hueytown HS | Hueytown, Ala.
Three-star recruit according to 247Sports. Ranked as one of the top 50 players in the state by 247Sports. Selected to North/South All-Star Game. Helped the Golden Gophers to a 9-4 season and a perfect 6-0 record in 6A Region 4.
Gabe Glover
Wide Receiver | Houston Academy | Dothan, Ala.
Led the state in receiving yards with 1,636 on 69 catches with 25 touchdowns. Helped the Raiders go 13-2 and advance to the 3A State Finals. Recorded two touchdown receptions and returned a kick for a touchdown in the semifinal. Had seven catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns in championship game.
Luke Gilbert
Tight End | Pisgah HS |Pisgah, Ala.
Gadsden Times Small Class All-Area Player of the Year. Passed for 1,564 yards and seven touchdowns an added 1,444 rushing yards with 21 touchdowns. Also played defense where he recorded 39 tackles and six for loss. Earned all-state honors at wide receiver as a sophomore. Helped Pisgah go 11-2 and reach the 2A state semifinals.
Quay Hood
Defensive Line | Decatur HS | Decatur, Ga.
Earned all-state honors after he recorded 76 total stops with an incredible 28 for loss in 11 games. Recorded 14 sacks which was among the top 10 in Georgia last season. Also had three interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Ian Mitchell
Linebacker | Pleasant Grove HS | Pleasant Grove, Ala.
Had 55 total tackles and recorded 19 tackles for loss and 14 sacks and earned 4A second-team all-state. Helped Pleasant Grove to a 9-2 record and was named to the North-South All-Star Game.
Jack Moran
Quarterback | The Hun School | Hillsborough, N.J.
Named the 2024 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year. Three-star prospect according to 247Sports. Completed 73% of his passes for a state-record 4,513 yards and 47 touchdowns. Had five games with over 500 passing yards. Completed 25 of 33 passes for 608 yards and seven touchdowns in a win at Mt. Zion Prep.
Wes Ryan
Tight End | Shorecrest Prep | St. Petersburg, Fla.
Named third-team all-state by the Sunshine State Athletic Association at tight end. Had 659 receiving yards with four touchdowns in nine games. Had five receiving touchdowns as a junior. Racked up 16 tackles for loss as a defensive end.
Jameson Scissum
Athlete | Etowah HS | Attalla, Ala.
Finished 12th in the state in total yardage at 2,991. Completed 60% of his passes for 2,056 yards and 21 touchdowns. Averaged 9.2 yards per carry, rushing for a total of 935 yards and three touchdowns. Also plans to play baseball for the Gamecocks.
Timothy Taylor Jr.
Defensive Line | Williston HS | Starke, Fla.
Recorded 48 total tackles with 12 for loss and nine sacks. Also recovered two fumbles. Named to The Gainesville Sun All-Area Small School Team.
Early Enrollees:
Temarion Foster
Defensive Back | Inlet Grove HS | Riviera Beach, Fla.
Three-star prospect according to 247Sports. Had 11 pass breakups, three tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles in eight games. Also played offense with 489 yards and a touchdown.
RJ Rainer
Defensive Back | William A. Hough HS | Cornelius, N.C.
Three-star cornerback prospect according to 247Sports. Selected to play in the 2024 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas where he was named one of the top performers of the week by On3.
Transfer Portal Signees:
Myles Butler
Linebacker | Campbellsville University | Carrollton, Ga.
Totaled 29 tackles with 4.5 for loss with two sacks for 9-2 Campbellsville. Also had two interceptions and broke up two passes.
Cam Cook
Running Back | Texas Christian University | Round Rock, Texas
Led the Horned Frogs in rushing last season with 460 yards on 119 carries (3.9 ypc) with nine touchdowns. Also saw times in nine games as a true freshman. Was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and ranked as the No. 23 running back in the country.
Jacob Cruz
Defensive Line | Georgia Tech | Acworth, Ga.
Played in 19 games over two seasons at Georgia Tech, gaining valuable experience on special teams. Was a consensus three-star prospect (247Sports, Rivals, ESPN) and was the Georgia Region 6-2A Defensive Player of the Year.
Cade Cunningham
Quarterback | University of Memphis | Wake Forest, N.C.
Spent a season at Marshall followed by two seasons at Memphis. Helped the Tigers go 10-3 and win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl during the 2023 season.
Rod Elston
Safety | Auburn University | Anniston, Ala.
Saw action in three games, recording three tackles which including an assisted tackle for loss against Alabama A&M. Earned 6A all-state honors from the ASWA as a senior at Oxford HS.
Harison Hamsley
Tight End | Valdosta State University | Valdosta, Ga.
Had five catches for 26 yards and a touchdown, helping the Blazers reach the NCAA Division II Championship game. Had a pair of receptions in the championship game. Also spent a season at Independence Community College where he had 18 receptions in nine games. Earned all-state honors at Valwood Prep.
Deondre Johnson
Wide Receiver | Rutgers University | Newburgh, N.Y.
Spent the last two seasons at Rutgers, seeing time as a true freshman. Recorded 629 yards on 27 catches with eight touchdowns as a senior at Newburgh Free Academy and helped his team reach the NYS Class AA State Championship game. Was the top athlete prospect in New York according to 247Sports.
Khurtiss Perry
Defensive Line | Virginia Tech | Montgomery, Ala.
Spent two seasons at Alabama before playing at Virginia Tech last year. Consensus four-star prospect and was ranked as the No. 2 player in Alabama by 247Sports. As a senior, recorded 76 tackles with 22 sacks, 30 quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble which helped Pike Road with the 2021 state title. Named to the US Army All-American Bowl.
Larry Preston
Defensive Back | Murray State University | Apopka, Fla.
Spent two seasons at FIU before playing at Murray State last season. Played in 11 games with the Racers, totaling 23 tackles and two pass breakups. Had 12 tackles during the 2023 season at FIU. Had 25 tackles with seven pass breakups as a senior at Wekiva HS.
Tyrin Taylor
Defensive Back | University of Memphis | Huntersville, N.C.
Played in eight games as a junior at Memphis, helping the Tigers reach and win the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Started three games and had nine tackles with an interception and two pass breakups. Had two tackles against Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl.
Gavin Wimsatt
Quarterback | University of Kentucky | Owensboro, Ky.
Played in eight games, completing 16 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Was Kentucky's third-leading rusher, averaging 3.7 yards per carry with two more scores. Started 19 games over three seasons prior at Rutgers. As a sophomore, passed for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns with 497 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns. Was a consensus four-star prospect and was Rivals' top prospect in Kentucky. Ranked as the No. 11 quarterback in the class of 2021 by 247Sports. Was the KHSAA 5-A Player of the Year and helped Owensboro HS reach the state title game in 2020.
December 2024 Signees:
Markevian Blake
Offensive Line | Jackson HS | Gainestown, Ala.
Will play in 4A State Championship game this week…Preps at Jackson High School in Jackson, Ala. under head coach Cody Flournoy…Has helped lead the Aggies to their first AHSAA State Championship game since 2011.
Lucas Farrington
Running Back | Walton HS | Atlanta, Ga.
Three-star prospect according to 247 Sports and Rivals…Ninth-rated running back in Georgia…Recorded over 1,100 all-purpose yards in 11 games this season with 20 touchdowns…Chose Jax State over offers from Arkansas, Troy, UAB, Liberty and others.
Lance Johnson
Offensive Line | Ramsay HS | Birmingham, Ala.
Selected to the 2024 AHSAA North/South All-Star Game…Helped lead Ramsay to the Class 5A AHSAA title in 2022 and an appearance in the state title game in 2023…Chose Jax State over offers from Samford, Alabama A&M, Marshall and Arkansas State.
Luke Reynolds
Linebacker/Safety | Briarwood Christian HS | Birmingham, Ala.
Prepped at Briarwood High School under coach Matthew Forester…Played on both sides of the ball for the Lions, starring at linebacker and running back…Rushed for 177 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-6 win over Corner early in the season…Closed out his regular season with a five touchdown, 206-yard performance against McAdory…Also lettered in baseball for the Lions.
Mac Sanders
Linebacker | Ola HS | McDonough, Ga.
A consensus three-star prospect according to 247 Sports, On3 and ESPN…Wrapped up his senior season at Ola High School with 164 tackles, 20 TFL's, four sacks and three interceptions…Also lettered in baseball at Ola High School…Chose Jax State over offers from Troy, UAB, Georgia State and East Carolina among others.
DJ Vinson
Athlete/Safety | Montgomery Academy | Montgomery, Ala.
Three-star prospect according to On3, 247 Sports and Rivals…Chose Jax State over multiple others including Arkansas, Tennessee, USF, and Vanderbilt…Wrapped up his senior season with 1,300 yards, and 17 touchdowns while adding 42 tackles and six interceptions on defense…Named 4A Second Team All-State by the Alabama Sports Writers Association following his junior season in 2023…Selected to represent Montgomery Academy at the 2024 AHSAA North/South All-Star Game…
Blake Wallace
Wide Receiver | Spanish River HS | Boca Raton, Fla.
Three-star prospect according to 247 Sports…Chose Jax State over multiple offers including Boston College, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, Marshall, and Pittsburgh…Recorded over 3,000 receiving yards in his career…Had 57 catches for 1,085 yards and 17 touchdowns as a junior…Averaged 21.3 yards per catch as a senior with 13 touchdowns.
Manny Watkins
Safety | Temple HS | Temple, Ga.
Three-star prospect according to On3, 247 Sports and ESPN…Finished his senior season with 55 tackles and 10 tackles for a loss from the secondary…Named to the 2024 1A Region 1 First Team All-Region team…Won the 2024 1A Division I State Title in the boys 100 Meter Dash.
McCade Wright
Defensive Line | Southside HS | Gadsden, Ala.
Three-Star prospect according to 247 Sports and On3…Prepped at Southside High School in Gadsden, Ala. under head coach Ben Stewart…Had 10 tackles for loss and eight sacks as a senior…Helped lead the Panthers to a first-round playoff appearance in 2023 and 2024.
