2027 DE KJ Green of Stone Mountain, GA is a big target for South Carolina coach Shane Beamer and defensive ends coach Sterling Lucas. They are constantly in touch, and they paid him a visit at his school during their off week. Green has seen the Gamecocks in action twice this season and is returning to Columbia to watch them this Saturday against Alabama.
The Gamecocks are 3-4 right now, and the record could get worse before it gets better. For Green, his feeling for the program goes much deeper than the won-loss record.
“Come on, man. Regardless of being 3-4, I have a strong relationship with all those guys,” Green said. “I love it up there. The message is still, keep balling. Keep the main thing the main thing. Keep them in touch. Let’s keep building our relationship. Let’s just continue to get me up there, and I’ll be up there this weekend. Everything with South Carolina has been great.”
Green added that the recent school visit from Beamer and company really sat well with him and his head coach.
“It’s always a great time when those guys come to the school,” Green said. “We had probably a 45 minute conversation. That was my head coach’s first time meeting Coach Beamer as well, just getting to know each other on a personal level. He always wanted to get plugged in on stuff like that. That’s pretty much all it was.”
The Gamecocks will have Greene’s attention this Saturday. But, they won’t have his full attention.
“Honestly, everyone knows Alabama and South Carolina are the schools at the top of my list right now,” Green said. “Honestly, I just want to watch a great football game. Who am I pulling for? I can’t even answer that question. Honestly, I’d like to see a draw.”
When the Gamecocks score, are you going to stand up and yell? “For sure, for sure. I’ve got to.” And when Alabama scores? “I’m going to celebrate a little bit, but I’m not going to be too loud. I’m going to clap to myself.”
Green has also had Southern Cal, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Florida and Texas among his favorites. But they are not at the same level with him as USC and Alabama.
“Those two schools have been at my top for a long time,” Green said. “Nothing’s changed. I feel like the rest of those schools I have in my top 12 are interchanging. But set in stone for sure, that one spot is tied between South Carolina and Alabama.
So far this season, Green has also been to games at Clemson, Nebraska, Florida State, Tennessee and Alabama. On November 1st, he’s planning to go to Miami for the Syracuse game. Then he’s going to ‘Texas A&M for the USC game, Ohio State for the Rutgers game and possibly to Texas November 28th for the A&M game.