South Carolina on Saturday picked up another 2026 commitment in CB Kosci Barnes (6-2 185) of Greensboro, NC. Barnes chose the Gamecocks over Rutgers, Miami, North Carolina, Mississippi State and Kentucky.
Gamecock secondary coach turned up his interest in Barnes in the spring because of his size and coverage skills. He brought him in for a visit in April and offered him at that point.
“He likes my aggression and my size,” Barnes said this spring. “He said I’m true to size and I can run really well. He said most DBs they’ve recruited have lied about height and I’m really true to my size. With me being this tall and being able to run and cover guys up, it’s a pretty good feature to have, and he feels like they can use me really early.”
Barnes later returned for an official visit in June.
Barnes is regarded as one of the top cover corners in North Carolina coming off of a season of 60 tackles with five pass break ups and four interceptions. He is the second cornerback commitment for the Gamecocks 2026 class and their 14th commitment overall.
USC 2026 Commitments
- KJ Johnson CB 6-2 175 Birmingham
- Kosci Barnes CB 6-2 185 Greensboro, NC
- Andrew Harris DE 6-2 225 Weddington, NC
- Aiden Harris DT 6-3 250 Weddington, NC
- Noah Clark DT 6-3 290 Durham, NC
- Keenan Britt LB 6-2 230 Oxford, AL
- Anthony Baxter OT 6-3 335 South Pointe
- Zyon Guiles OT 6-5 290 Carvers Bay
- Kamari Blair OT 6-6 280 Clarksville, TN
- Landon Duckworth QB 6-3 190 Jackson, AL
- J’Zavien Currence SAF 6-3 190 South Pointe
- Tamarion Watkins SAF 6-4 201 Northwestern
- Jamel Howse TE 6-4 210 Newberry
- Sequel Patterson WR 6-0 165 Indian Land