South Carolina Wednesday added a commitment to their 2025 class for the second straight day, this one from a top in-state prospect. SAF Damarcus Leach (6-3 185) of Abbeville announced his commitment to Shane Beamer becoming the third member of the class and the first on the defensive side.
The Gamecocks and Duke emerged as the top two in his recruiting over the spring, but the Gamecocks had always held the upper hand in the family.
“I love the Gamecocks. I grew up a Gamecock fan,” Leach said last week. “I had an uncle who went down there. And my grandma, she’s always been a Gamecock fan.”
Beamer and secondary coach Torrian Gray made sure Leach knew how much they wanted him in the program.
“I get on Facetime with the defensive staff. Get on Facetime with Coach Gray a lot, Coach Beamer a lot,” Leach said. “There’s definitely a lot of love being shown from the Gamecocks. It just isn’t one of those one-time things, it’s always been every week or multiple times a week.”
Leach plays for one of the top programs in the state and emerged as a major target for the Gamecocks coming off his junior season. Gray picked up the recruiting and pursued Leach as a defensive back who can play all over.
“Sometimes we have conversations about safety. Sometimes we have different conversations about corner,” Leach said earlier this year. “One day we might have a conversation about nickel because he said they couldn’t find a natural nickel. Me playing it in high school and my length, and he said of course I’ll put on weight, but he’s talked to me about any position in the secondary.”
Leach visited the Gamecocks for a junior day in January and is scheduled for an official visit June 21st. He also has a visit to Duke scheduled for June 14th. He also had offers from Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Wake Forest, Coastal Carolina, Charlotte and Appalachian State.