Former Washington State safety Tyrese Ross has USC among the few schools he’s considering after entering the NCAA Transfer Portal. North Carolina, Rutgers, SMU and UCF are some others who have been in touch with Ross and seem to have his attention. The Gamecocks and Ross first connected about a month ago with secondary coach Torrian Gray and the rest of the defensive staff holding a group conversation with him.
“When I spoke with South Carolina, I spoke with the whole defensive staff,” Ross said. “They got me on a conference call and had me speak to coach Gray, the DB coach, the defensive coordinator, the linebacker coach. Pretty much the whole defensive staff. They showed me how much they are interested in me. I’m definitely interested in them.”
Ross is regarded as a hard-hitting safety. He only played in one game in 2020 starting and recording two tackles against Oregon. In 2019, he played in all 13 games and had 33 tackles and one forced fumble. In his conversations with the Gamecock coaches, Ross said they made it clear he could fit a clear need for them in several ways.
“They like the aggressiveness and the style I play with,” Ross said. “They said I kind of reminded them of DJ Swearinger and those type of guys that came thru there. One of the biggest things that they tried to point out was that they wanted to bring back that type culture to South Carolina, when DJ Swearinger and Stephon Gilmore and those guys were coming around. The main thing that they see with me was my versatility. They see that I’m able to play nickel, free safety and strong. That was the biggest thing they were pointing out, that they were looking for a guy who can multiple positions and have eligibility left. They kept emphasizing they wanted a guy who could be physical and who could be a leader. Those are the two biggest things that stood out to me and one of the reasons they grabbed my attention.”
Ross has a small tie to USC. Gamecocks outside linebackers coach Mike Peterson played with Ross’s uncle in the NFL. He also has a tie to North Carolina. His brother Dominique plays for the Tar Heels.
The re-recruiting process for Ross is heating up, and he wants to determine his new spot within the next few weeks after he takes a few visits. He expects the Gamecocks to receive one of those.
“It’s been a crazy process these last couple of days. Schools are reaching out,” Ross said. “I’m really trying to narrow it down. I have a few schools that I might take a visit to, around two or three. Definitely make a decision in May. I’m expecting to chop it up with the coaches soon.”
Ross is a native of Jacksonville. He started his high school career there and finished at Westlake High in Atlanta. He will have three years of eligibility at his next stop.
