STRecruiting: 2027 defensive lineman coming to South Carolina Saturday for his first-ever meeting with the Gamecocks

South Carolina is far from finished building its 2027 football recruiting class. Shane Beamer and his staff have been bringing in new prospects for game visits, and one of those coming in this Saturday will be DT Gehrig Felix (6-6 260) of Lawrenceville, GA.

Felix has been playing football for a little over a year, so he’s a late bloomer for this recruiting class. He did commit to South Alabama in July, but other schools are starting to catch on to him. He has visited Mississippi State this season, and he also has offers from Boston College, NC State, Georgia State, Charlotte, James Madison, Northern Illinois, and Mercer.

Felix has not yet met members of the Gamecock staff. The recruiting office contacted him after reviewing his film and extended an invitation to Saturday’s game.

“They hit me up on Twitter, and they’ve been talking with my dad and me,” Felix said. “They’ve been saying good things about us, about me particularly. The edge room and the defensive tackle room both want me. It’s really like a battle right now to see where I’m going to play.”

Defensive tackles coach Travian Robertson and defensive ends coach Deion Barnes, so it seems, want to entertain Felix on his visit. He expects to visit with both as he gets his first taste of Gamecock football.

“I’m looking to build some connections with everybody there and potentially get an offer,” Felix said. “It (an offer) would be huge because it’s an SEC school, a great school. It’ll be big for recruiting. It’ll also be big for my future. It’s (a commitment) really up to how the visit goes. I mean, if we love it, if everything goes well, then anything could happen.”

By the way, Felix said his first name comes from New York Yankee great Lou Gehrig. Felix said his mother’s family are big baseball fans, and her brother was named Gehrig. After her brother died, his mother decided to pass the name on to him.