2027 LB Jalaythan Mayfield (6-1 215) of Lincolnton, NC was in the Palmetto State Saturday night to take in a college football game for the second straight weekend. Mayfield was at Clemson for the LSU game. Last Saturday, he was at USC for the SC State game.
The visit for a game at USC was not the first for Mayfield, so he knew what to expect from the pre-game pageantry.
“It was great as usual,” Mayfield said. “The energy is always there every time I go. This was actually the second home game that I went to. It was definitely electric. Always a good crowd. I love their tradition with the lights and towels. I love that. I enjoy doing that with them. Just being able to sit down with Coach Beamer and getting to catch up with him was great. It ensures that they prioritize me.”
Apparently, head coach Shane Beamer has expressed just that sentiment to Mayfield in their conversations, which continued Saturday night.
“He was saying they really want me at South Carolina,” Mayfield said. “I’m a priority for them. That has been said throughout the process that they are going to recruit me hard. For sure, they are one of the schools that I’m definitely in. Them being my first offer really opened up some doors for me. Forever grateful for that program. Whether that’s where I go or not, forever grateful to them, for sure.”
Mayfield also visited with defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Clayton White while at the stadium. The Gamecocks sit in a good spot with Mayfield at this point, but he’s not ready to identify clear favorites just yet.
“I like to keep it equal for all the schools,” Mayfield said. “Just try to get to know other coaching staffs and programs before I really try to cut anyone out without being able to know them first.”
This Saturday, Mayfield will be at LSU for the Florida game. He plans to be in Athens on September 27th for the Georgia-Alabama game. At this point, he’s not planning a return to USC or Clemson for another game this season. However, he will visit both again at some point in 2026.
Clemson has not yet offered. Some of his other offers include Michigan, Alabama, SMU, Ohio State, North Carolina, Maryland, NC State, Georgia, Florida, Penn State, Texas A&M, Georgia Tech, Missouri, Auburn and Virginia Tech.