The last available five-star prospect in the 2026 college football recruiting class is off the board. Interior offensive lineman Darius Gray announced Friday his commitment to South Carolina and, in turn, became the headliner of Shane Beamer’s 15-player haul. The Gamecocks’ class jumped three spots from No. 22 to No. 19 nationally with Gray’s addition.
Gray was the top uncommitted recruit entering the day, and with his pledge to South Carolina, each of the 121 highest-ranked prospects have now announced their landing spots for the 2026 season. The early signing period is still about four months away, though, which means that flips are inevitable — especially since these recruits have yet to play their high school senior seasons.
South Carolina now has a pair of blue-chip offensive line additions on the way. Four-star offensive tackle Zyon Guiles was previously the Gamecocks’ highest-rated pickup in the trenches.
Beamer has yet to build a recruiting class outside the national top 25 since his arrival for the 2021 season, and the Gray commitment gives him momentum in keeping that streak alive. Gray became the third five-star prospect to commit to Beamer, following eventual freshman standout Dylan Stewart in 2024 and uber-athletic receiver Nyck Harbor in 2023.
“You wouldn’t know if you didn’t pay attention to football, but he’s one of the coolest, most humble guys I’ve met in my life,” Gray said of Beamer to 247Sports’ Brian Dohn. “Just to have a head coach like that, to (fight) for his players no matter what the situation is, that means everything.”
Gray picked South Carolina over a top five that included Clemson, Tennessee, Ohio State and LSU. The Gamecocks notched a significant victory over those perennial playoff contenders with the recruiting triumph, staking their claim to the top-ranked interior offensive lineman in the cycle. They got a head start in his recruitment, extending a scholarship offer all the way back in June 2022 and bringing him to campus for seven visits.
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Gray hails from Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s School, where he is also a standout on the basketball court. He is a two-way player who primarily serves at the left tackle spot for his offensive reps, but he projects to carry more upside as a guard at the college level. 247Sports director of scouting Andew Ivins described him as a potential “cheat code” in zone blocking when he arrives in the SEC.
“Might need a developmental year or two to find his bearings as he levels up in competition and adjusts to the speed of the college game,” Ivins said in a January 2025 evaluation, “but profiles as someone that has what it takes to blossom into an early-round NFL Draft pick with his basketball background and full-time, two-way snaps at the prep level.”
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