Gamecocks Land Another Big Time DL Recruit In Its 2023 Class

Elijah Davis had to take a bit of a winding road to get back to his home state of South Carolina, but with today's pledge to the Gamecocks, the Wagener, SC native is headed back closer to home after spending his time in Junior College at Last Chance U, AKA East Mississippi Community College in Scooba, MS.

South Carolina has landed a true stud and immediate contributor in the 1st-team preseason JC All-American DT. Throughout this season, Davis' recruitment blew up with nearly every major program in the southeast, including Alabama, and Tennessee, which the Gamecocks edged out for his services.

The 6-foot-5, 280-pound lineman took an official visit to South Carolina during a low point of the season and witnessed a home loss to Mizzou, 23-10. But the Gamecocks bounced back over the back half of the schedule and kept constant contact with Davis throughout the process.

Last week, several members of the Gamecocks' staff had an in-home visit with Davis on Thursday, and then Davis took an unofficial visit to campus on Friday. While Tennessee made a legitimate push for the big fella, the long-time relationships he had built with Sterling Lucas, Clayton White, and Shane Beamer, seem to have given the home-state school the edge.

When you go to the tape, it only takes a few plays to witness the sort of havoc that Davis can wreak on opposing OLs. With Zacch Pickens moving onto the NFL, it was essential for the Gamecocks to get another body to pair with the ongoing surge of production from Tonka Hemingway, Boogie Huntley, and others.