South Carolina Football Eyes Three New QB Recruits Following Landon Duckworth’s Decommitment

South Carolina Football Targets Three New QB Recruits after Recent Decommitment

In Columbia, Darren Swift attention is focused on the South Carolina Gamecocks’ recent fast-tracked search for future quarterback talent. Following a decommitment from Class of 2026 quarterback Landon Duckworth on Tuesday night, three prospective signal callers from the same class excitedly announced on social media they were in receipt of offers from Coach Shane Beamer and his Gamecocks.

Offers On The Table

Juniors Noah Grubbs of Lake Mary (Fla.), Dereon Coleman of Jones High (Fla.), and Michael Clayton of Seminole High (Fla.) make up the trio of targets. Shortly after news broke of Duckworth’s departure at 9:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Grubbs took to social media at 9:32 p.m. to announce his offer. Clayton’s offer came later the same evening, while Coleman aired his exciting news on Wednesday morning.

Substantiating the Gamecocks’ strategic approach to recruitment, the team’s typical practice is to secure a quarterback in each year’s recruitment cycle—for example, in 2023, LaNorris Sellers was recruited and is projected to be the started when training opens this coming August.

Boost with Recent Commitments

The recent acquisition of three-star Westside quarterback Cutter Woods (Class of 2025) who opted to flip from Wake Forest to USC, added a notable boost to the Gamecocks’ quarterback roster. Other previous acquisitions include Dante Reno from the 2024 Class who enrolled back in January, along with transfers Robby Ashford (Auburn) and Davis Beville (Oklahoma, walk-on).

Recruit Rundown

Of the latest offers made by USC, Grubbs is the highest ranked in the bunch, having previously committed to Notre Dame on June 1. His other notable offers include esteemed colleges such as Ohio State, Oklahoma, Syracuse, Arkansas, Michigan, Texas A&M, Florida and Penn State. On Tuesday, he confirmed on social media his previously made commitment to ND while also expressing interest in the 2026 class.

Grubbs cuts an imposing figure on the field, standing at 6-foot-4 and with credentials including 3,677 yards and 49 touchdowns thrown in his sophomore year. He also adds to his tally with 11 running scores.

Coleman also ranks as a notable four-star prospect, rated as the 21st best quarterback of his class by the 247Sports Composite. His recent offer was from Miami last week and he had already expressed preference for Central Florida, Oklahoma, Illinois, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Nebraska, TCU and Arkansas. With 2,236 yards thrown, 247 run, and 20 total touchdowns last season, he makes for competitive recruit material.

Clayton is the final piece of the trio, standing at 6-3, he’s secured multiple offers over the past month from universities such as Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan State, Maryland, Central Florida and North Carolina State. He comes off a season at Edgewater High with an impressive 1,902 yards and 18 touchdowns thrown.

Responding to Decommitment

Landon Duckworth, when speaking of his decommitment from South Carolina, expressed nothing but admiration for Beamer and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains. Despite dubbing it a “tough decision”, he thanked the staff for their belief in him and his capabilities.