The final obtainable five-star prospect within the 2026 faculty soccer recruiting class is off the board. Inside offensive lineman Darius Grey introduced Friday his dedication to South Carolina and, in flip, turned the headliner of Shane Beamer’s 15-player haul. The Gamecocks’ class jumped three spots from No. 22 to No. 19 nationally with Grey’s addition.
Grey was the highest uncommitted recruit coming into the day, and along with his pledge to South Carolina, every of the 121 highest-ranked prospects have now introduced their touchdown spots for the 2026 season. The early signing interval continues to be about 4 months away, although, which implies that flips are inevitable — particularly since these recruits have but to play their highschool senior seasons.
South Carolina now has a pair of blue-chip offensive line additions on the way in which. 4-star offensive sort out Zyon Guiles was beforehand the Gamecocks’ highest-rated pickup within the trenches.
Beamer has but to construct a recruiting class outdoors the nationwide prime 25 since his arrival for the 2021 season, and the Grey dedication provides him momentum in preserving that streak alive. Grey turned the third five-star prospect to decide to Beamer, following eventual freshman standout Dylan Stewart in 2024 and uber-athletic receiver Nyck Harbor in 2023.
“You would not know should you did not take note of soccer, however he is one of many coolest, most humble guys I’ve met in my life,” Grey stated of Beamer to 247Sports’ Brian Dohn. “Simply to have a head coach like that, to (battle) for his gamers it doesn’t matter what the scenario is, meaning the whole lot.”
Grey picked South Carolina over a prime 5 that included Clemson, Tennessee, Ohio State and LSU. The Gamecocks notched a big victory over these perennial playoff contenders with the recruiting triumph, staking their declare to the top-ranked inside offensive lineman within the cycle. They received a head begin in his recruitment, extending a scholarship provide all the way in which again in June 2022 and bringing him to campus for seven visits.
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Grey hails from Richmond (Va.) St. Christopher’s Faculty, the place he’s additionally a standout on the basketball courtroom. He’s a two-way participant who primarily serves on the left sort out spot for his offensive reps, however he tasks to hold extra upside as a guard on the faculty stage. 247Sports director of scouting Andew Ivins described him as a possible “cheat code” in zone blocking when he arrives within the SEC.
“May want a developmental yr or two to seek out his bearings as he ranges up in competitors and adjusts to the pace of the school recreation,” Ivins stated in a January 2025 analysis, “however profiles as somebody that has what it takes to blossom into an early-round NFL Draft choose along with his basketball background and full-time, two-way snaps on the prep stage.”
