Four days ago, while he was in Columbia for the spring football game, South Carolina offered linebacker Rodney Colton of Newman, Ga.
On Wednesday, the 6-2, 220-pound Colton announced a commitment to the Gamecocks, becoming their second pledge for the 2026 class.
Colton, rated a four-star recruit, also had offers from Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech, LSU and Tennessee. This spring he also made visits to Georgia, Georgia Tech and Auburn. He had previously indicated Auburn and Georgia were his top two before making his commitment to the Gamecocks.
An injury limited Colton to just two games as a sophomore. In his high school career, he has 49 tackles with ten tackles for loss.
Colton joins quarterback Landon Duckworth as the two commitments for the Gamecocks in the 2026 class.
Other players to commit to USC after the spring game were cornerback Shamari Earls and defensive tackle Caleb Williams.
Earls, a 6-2, 185-pounder from Chester, had an impressive offer list which he narrowed to a top nine of USC, Duke, Georgia, Virginia, Texas A&M, Alabama, Tennessee, Maryland and Michigan State. Last season, Earls had 25 tackles with three interceptions and four pass break-ups. He also plays receiver and last season he had 29 catches for 715 yards and eight touchdowns.
Williams (6-6, 250) of Chesterfield, was offered by Gamecocks defensive tackles coach Travian Robertson last April, and the Gamecocks made him a top target from there. He also had offers from Tennessee, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Kentucky, Pitt, Penn State, Wisconsin, LSU and others.
Last season, Williams had 95 tackles with 15 sacks, and for his career he has 162 tackles with 28 sacks. Williams is the sixth commitment for the Gamecocks’ 2025 class.
