USC won a hard fought SEC recruiting battle Thursday with a public commitment from TE Eric Shaw (6-4 219) of Notasulga, AL. He had narrowed his decision to the Gamecocks, Tennessee and Auburn. Thru the process, Shaw also landed offers from Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Florida, Ole Miss, Virginia, Texas A&M, West Virginia and others. Shaw also plays linebacker but the Gamecocks recruited him strictly as a tight end.

“Everything was great, I can’t lie,” Shaw said after evaluating USC on an official official visit in June. “The facilities, the coaches, the players. I loved everything about it.”

Shaw said he talked a lot with head coach Will Muschamp and tight ends coach Bobby Bentley during the recruiting process. He said Muschamp made it clear he was a priority for them in the 2020 class and would fill a need at tight end.

“He said I’m a great fit for what they run,” Shaw said. “I love it. They use their tight end like another wide receiver. They put him in a lot of different spots. The way they use their tight ends, it’s perfect.”

Last season Shaw totaled 60 tackles with 1 sack and 7 tackles for loss. On offense, he totaled 470 yards rushing and receiving and scored 5 touchdowns.