It didn’t take long for newly hired South Carolina defensive ends coach Darius Barnes to get work chasing top talent for his new school. Not long after accepting the job from Shane Beamer last week, Barnes made a call to DE Abraham Sesay (6-6 225) of Exton, PA, making him his first publicly confirmed offer as a Gamecock staff member.
“I got the offer originally from Penn State last March, and he was my main point of contact with them,” Sesay said. “I built a really strong connection with him. He invited me to camp, and at camp he just taught me a lot in that little camp space, and we were able to continue to build that relationship. He showed me a lot about his coaching style and his history, and I showed him a lot about who I am as a player and who I am on the field. We built a great connection and I’ll be excited to learn more.”
Sesay said the fact Barnes thought highly enough of him to make him his first offer at his new school is important to him.
“It showed me a lot about our connection between me and Coach Barnes,” Sesay said. “It’s really about that he trusts me as a player and that he really wants to coach me. I would love to learn more about South Carolina. You have to be able to love the school for what it is, especially at this state of college football we are at right now. Coaches are always trying to find the best opportunity for them. You also have to be able to build a connection with the coach, because that’s where the development piece comes in.”
Up until Barnes joined the Gamecocks, USC had not been recruiting Barnes, who is viewed by recruiters as one of the top defensive end prospects nationally for the 2027 class. So, this new offer from Barnes is is first exposure to the program and has given him a reason to look closer.
“He said he definitely wants to get me out during the springtime, as early as possible,” Sesay said. “I’m still working a few things out, but I’d love to visit South Carolina.”
Barnes has gotten a good look at Sesay in camp and from watching his high school film, so he knows what he would be working with should he land him for the Gamecocks.
“He really likes my bend and my length, just being able to bend around linemen, and my pure athleticism off the edge,” Sesay said. “He really likes my motor, so he’s told me a lot of good things and he just said that he wants to continue to work on my craft and continue perfecting it.”
Sesay added there are a few high level defensive ends in college that he likes to follow and learn from.
“Dylan Stewart (USC) is always a great guy to look at,” Sesay said. “Of course, Dani (Dennis-Sutton) (Penn State) is always an amazing guy to look at. Cashius Howell from Texas A&M, Rueben Bain (Miami), all the great edge rushers I try to model my game after. But of course, I always like to be myself and always like to perfect myself and be Abraham Sesay. But of course, there are some guys that I can learn from and really help perfect my craft.”
Sesay said some other programs he’s giving a hard look at right now are Notre Dame, Ohio State, Miami, Miami, Rutgers and Duke, but he remains wide open with the process right now. Some of his other offers are Auburn, Florida State, West Virginia, LSU, Virginia, North Carolina, Alabama, Southern Cal, Ole Miss, Northwestern, Maryland, Kentucky, Wisconsin and Syracuse.
Duke is the only January recruiting visit he has firmed up at this point, but there will be others then and in the spring. He will then take his official visits and hopes to make a decision in the summer.