REACTION: Blake Franks' Commitment Adds To Gamecocks' "Great Wall of Carolina"
In his third offseason as head coach, Shane Beamer's strong recruiting reputation is beginning to take hold at South Carolina. Though he has done his part recruiting in the previous classes, upcoming graduating classes such as 2024 and 2025 have been exclusively Beamer's, and the results are telling.
The class of 2024 looks to be Beamer's best one yet at South Carolina, and it keeps getting stronger. 2024 OT Blake Franks announced his commitment to the team Friday night, a step in the right direction for the Gamecocks, who expect a surplus of offensive line talent to head to Columbia in the upcoming years.
Though he is just a three-star on many recruiting databases, Franks is a very talented lineman many college football recruiting pundits hold in high regard. The 6-6 330-pound lineman from Greenville, South Carolina, has offers from schools like Alabama, Clemson, Auburn, and more.
The primary strength Blake brings is physicality and power. With such a large frame, only a few linemen in the United States possess the raw power Franks often utilizes in pass and run protection. Though strength is one of his strong suits, Franks is also very athletic, which allows him to make difficult blocks in open spaces, especially in the run game. He's frequently pancaked unsuspecting linebackers during run plays throughout his high school career. His dynamic athleticism should also allow the Gamecocks' offense to be creative in the outside run game.
In addition to possessing high-quality physicality, Franks is a versatile offensive lineman who can line up anywhere on the line. Though he's predominantly lined up as the left tackle at Greenville High School, Franks also serves as an interior lineman when his team needs it.
Franks' versatility should be enticing to South Carolina, who will look to move him to offensive guard due to the offensive tackle talent they've accumulated in the 2024 class. Franks marks the second offensive line commitment for South Carolina in the class of 2024, and while there is still plenty of time left in the cycle, the Gamecocks are shaping up to have one of the best classes in the country, especially in the trenches.
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