South Carolina came away from National Signing Day last week with a couple of highly touted players to its 2019 football recruiting class, including defensive tackle Jaquaze Sorrells and defensive back Jammie Robinson.
Along with Sorrells and Robinson, the Gamecocks also added offensive lineman William Rogers and defensive back Shilo Sanders on Wednesday.
“If you had told me in December, 'you could sign all these four guys,' I’d have taken it," head football coach Will Muschamp said. "All four can make a difference in our program.”
According to 247Sports, South Carolina’s class is ranked 18th in the country and eighth in the SEC. Sorrells, the 14th-ranked defensive tackle, and Robinson, the 32nd-ranked safety, join a class that already has four recruits nationally ranked in the top 150. Below are the other top recruits that lead the Gamecocks' 2019 class along with their national positional ranking according to 247Sports.
Zacch Pickens: (1) Defensive Tackle
Pickens, a 6’5", 285 pound defensive tackle, represents the highest ranked recruit in South Carolina’s 2019 class and the third highest recruit the program has ever had.The only two South Carolina football players to have a higher rating on 247Sports than Zacch Pickens are Jadeveon Clowney and Marcus Lattimore. Pickens, who played high school football for T.L. Hanna, has already enrolled at South Carolina and will look to become a mainstay on the Gamecocks' defensive line as soon as next season.
Ryan Hilinksi: (4) Quarterback
More than ten months have gone by since Hilinksi joined the Gamecock program and signed his letter of intent on April 4, 2018. The country’s second best pro-style quarterback will join South Carolina’s QB depth chart already consisting of Jake Bentley and Dakereon Joyner. Hilinski has already began the transition from Orange, Califorina to Columbia. Along with Pickens, he's already arrived on campus and enrolled in classes at the University of South Carolina.
Joseph Anderson: (8) Defensive End
Anderson, who signed to play for South Carolina on June 1, 2018, is the third highest rated recruit in South Carolina’s 2019 class. The 6’4”, 268 pound defensive end will call Williams Brice Stadium home this upcoming season after previously playing for Oakland High School in Murfeesboro, Tennessee.
Cameron Smith: (19) Cornerback
Smith is an in-state defensive back from Blythewood, South Carolina, and the nation’s 150th overall recruit in 2019, according to 247Sports. The 6’1”, 168 pound cornerback is part of a seven way tie for fourth highest recruit in South Carolina’s class. Smith, along with fellow defensive back commit Shilo Sanders, will look to earn playing time for South Carolina's secondary in 2019.
South Carolina’s 2019 recruiting class consists of one quarterback, one running back, one wide receiver, two tight ends, five offensive linemen, six defensive linemen, two linebackers, four defensive backs and two special teams contributors.