South Carolina Gamecocks Named 'Clear Leader' for Landon Duckworth

The South Carolina Gamecocks have been named as the 'clear leaders' for Landon Duckworth.

Dec 6, 2024; Birmingham, AL, USA; Jackson's Landon Duckworth (1) and Jackson's Chris Payne (5) talk during a timeout during the game with Cherokee County at Protective Stadium in the AHSAA 4A State Championship game. | Gary Cosby Jr. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The South Carolina Gamecocks have been named as the 'clear leaders' for Landon Duckworth.

The South Carolina Gamecocks have continued to work on adding to their 2026 recruiting class as official visits continue throughout the summer. One of the top prospects, Landon Duckworth, was recently on campus and is now participating in the Elite 11 finals out in Los Angeles.

Duckworth recently trimmed his list of schools down to two, as Auburn and South Carolina were named as the finalists. Duckworth was once a South Carolina commit, but elected to reopen his recruitment. Shane Beamer and his staff have relentlessly pursued the Alabama native to make sure he ends up a Gamecock.

As the quarterback's recruitment comes down to the wire though, the Gamecocks have been named as the clear favorite, according to ESPN.

"Duckworth, a one-time South Carolina commit, has gelled with new offensive coordinator Mike Shula, and ESPN sources view the Gamecocks as clear leaders to ultimately land his commitment," Eli Lederman wrote.

Duckworth is rated a four-star prospect, the 51st-best prospect, the sixth-best quarterback in the class and the fifth-best player in the state of Alabama, according to composite rankings. Ole Miss was once viewed as the favorite, but Auburn and South Carolina surged ahead of them, and ultimately, the Rebels were dropped from Duckworth's list.

With LaNorris Sellers likely only playing one more college football season, the Gamecocks will have to figure out who their next starter will be, and if everything goes to plan, Duckworth will be competing for the job in 2026 along with other names on South Carolina's roster.

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