ICYMI: South Carolina Adds Several 2027 Targets During Huge Recruiting Week

Judah Lancaster is the latest commit to the Gamecocks during what was a big recruiting week last week. Here's a quick recap of who committed to South Carolina and who the Gamecocks are targeting as summer recruiting heats up.

Former NFL wide receiver Jaelen Strong (left) watches Tolleson's Judah Lancaster during a private practice at Tolleson Union High School on June 16, 2023, in Tolleson. | Megan Mendoza/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK

Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks had a nice last seven days on the recruiting ground as they have landed three players and in the top five of some elite talent. Here's everything you missed recruiting wise from last week and an updated look at the Gamecocks' 2027 class.

Judah Lancaster, the team's most recent commit, is a 6-foot-5 and 230+ pound tight end from Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee. His weight and frame are the type of build power four teams covet. Having a great tight end can create mismatches for modern college football offenses. Should Lancaster become that level of player, future Gamecock quarterbacks should be excited for the weapon at their disposal.

South Carolina found its highest rated recruit of the 2027 class so far in the form of big 314 pound defensive lineman John Archer. The top ten player in the state of North Carolina is a "disruptive" interior force on a defensive line. Archer has the potential to be a star at the next level given the right situation. Should he reach his potential in Columbia, the Gamecocks would have a force along the interior of their defense that could help them with a playoff push.

DJ Huggins is a 5-foot-10 and 165 pound wide out from Kennesaw, Georgia. The Harrison High School star held offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia, and others before ultimately choosing South Carolina.

South Carolina's 2027 Class

Sep 27, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Shane Beamer leads his team onto the field during the Gamecocks 2001 entrance before their game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

Archer, Huggins, and Lancaster join a class that features safety Jernard Albright, quarterback Jerry Meyer III, and offensive lineman Will Endicott. A class that was ranked outside the top 60 just a few days ago, is now squarely inside the top 40. Shane Beamer and his team aren't nearly finished with this class and will be looking to find themselves once again inside the top 25 recruiting rankings when this cycle finishes.

The South Carolina coaching staff has their eyes set on a few key targets as the summer recruiting period picks up. Four-star running backs David "Tre" Segarra and Brayden Tyson, four-star safety Jayden Aparicio-Bailey, and four-star edge rusher James Pace III all listed the Gamecocks among their final five schools for this cycle.