Festivities for South Carolina’s first official visit weekend got underway Friday with some fireworks. The Gamecocks picked up a commitment Friday night from TE Judah Lancaster (6-5 240) of Brentwood, TN, one of the recruits who is in for his official visit this weekend.
Lancaster had narrowed his list to USC, UCLA, Auburn and Vanderbilt. He visited all four in the spring and had scheduled official visits with each as well. But he said last week tight ends coach Shawn Elliott and head coach Shane Beamer had done a great job with him, and he had the Gamecocks as his favorite going into the visit.
“To be honest, those are my boys. I feel real strong about them since the first time I talked to Coach Beamer and Coach Elliott the start of my junior season,” Lancaster said. “They came to see me in spring ball my sophomore year, and then I talked to them in fall camp going into my junior year. They just told me they thought highly of me, so I’ve been rocking with them ever since. Those are my guys for sure.”
Lancaster was able to watch Elliott work with the tight ends when he came in for a spring practice last month. He also got an overview of how the tight end factors into a Kendal Briles offense.
“They like my versatility,” Lancaster said. “They like that I can really dominate at the point of attack, and then also stretch the field and catch the ball. They definitely use them (tight ends) in a lot of ways, flexing them out wide and moving them around. Then, seeing how Coach Elliott coaches, he’s a real passionate dude. That was good to see.”
According to MaxPreps stats, in nine games last season at IMG Academy, Lancaster caught five passes for 32 yards and one touchdown. The previous season at Tolleson High in Arizona, he caught 17 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns in seven games.
Lancaster is the fourth high school commitment of the week for the Gamecocks, and he gives them six commitment for the 2027 class.