Possibly the biggest recruiting win in Gamecock history.
The South Carolina Gamecocks and coach Shane Beamer got an incredible boost on National Signing Day, as sought-after five-star prospect Nyckoles Harbor inked with the program during an announcement ceremony aired on ESPN.
Harbor, who hails from Washington, D.C., is a 6-foot-5, 225-pound defensive lineman/tight end who is also a track star with Olympic potential. The two-sport prospect, listed as an athlete by recruiting services, is No. 1 at his position and the No. 19 overall recruit in 247Sports’ composite and No. 39 nationally in the ESPN 300.
Harbor pledged to the Gamecocks over offers from Oregon, Michigan, Miami, Maryland, and LSU, among others. Here’s Beamer, with a tongue-in-cheek Tweet as to why:
The REAL reason @Nyck1k chose @GamecockFB ….
His new head coach ♂️smoked him in a race last July in our stadium and Nyck wants a rematch… ♂️ #GameRecognizesGame pic.twitter.com/svBifq7zq3
— Shane Beamer (@CoachSBeamer) February 1, 2023
It’s all smiles right now in Columbia, as even the baseball team is celebrating Harbor’s commitment:
@Nyck1k @CoachSBeamer pic.twitter.com/EzucNntJHz
— Jackson Phipps (@1ackson) February 1, 2023
Harbor, who immediately becomes the crown jewel of the Gamecocks’ 2023 class and has drawn comparisons to NFL receiving legend Calvin Johnson, is the highest-rated recruit South Carolina has signed since defensive end Jordan Burch in 2020. The Gamecocks currently boast the 16th-ranked class in 247Sports’ composite.
Considering how much recruiting has changed in the name, image, and likeness era, the depth of Oregon’s (and Phil Knight’s) pockets, and the Ducks’ eye-catching activity in the early signing period, this is quite possibly the biggest recruiting win in South Carolina history.