South Carolina Football: Gamecocks on verge of historic 2019 recruiting class

South Carolina football has never been known as a recruiting juggernaut, but the Gamecocks find themselves inside the top 5 in the 2019 national rankings.

The top of the 2019 recruiting rankings is filled with familiar faces. Alabama, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and Clemson round out the top four spots. Ohio State, Notre Dame, Miami and Georgia are all in the top 10 with Texas, Florida State and Michigan within the top 15. And then there’s South Carolina.

Often regarded as the second fiddle to Clemson in their own state, the South Carolina Gamecocks have the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation midway through the month of June. Not only is that a strong start for South Carolina, holding this group together to the finish line would border on unprecedented.

South Carolina hasn’t had a top 10 class since the Gamecocks brought in the No. 7 class in 2007. That group was headlined by quarterback Stephen Garcia, but didn’t include any 5-stars.

The Gamecocks have had more classes outside the top 25 in the last 20 years than they’ve had inside the top 15. For whatever reason they haven’t ever been known as a recruiting powerhouse — especially when Georgia, Clemson and Florida are all right next door. Nevertheless, Will Muschamp is on the verge of rewriting history in Columbia.

Led by 5-star defensive end Zacch Pickens, the Gamecocks have 15 total commitments, five of which come from blue-chip players. One of those is 4-star quarterback Ryan Hilinski, brother of Washington State’s recently deceased Tyler Hilinski. Ryan is the No. 2 pro-style passer in the 2019 class, and is regarded by most to be a better athlete than his brother.

Next: Preseason Top 25 following spring practices

It’s an impressive group, and if the strong start is any indication, they’re not finished. If South Carolina can hold serve this will go down as one of the best classes in South Carolina history.