South Carolina football is starting the most crucial stretch of days on the 2024 recruiting calendar. The Gamecocks have at least 9 recruiting targets making their college decisions public between July 20th and August 3rd, and Shane Beamer and his coaching staff are in a good position to land a few of them.

On Saturday, the first two of these targets made their public commitments as 4-star EDGE Bryce Davis (Greensboro, North Carolina) and 4-star offensive lineman Cortez Smith (Lilburn, Georgia) revealed their pledges.

Davis, who was deciding among a top-4 of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Georgia Bulldogs, Duke Blue Devils, and Clemson Tigers, committed to Dabo Swinney’s program. While Georgia was viewed by many as the favorite for much of Davis’ recruitment, South Carolina, Clemson, and Duke made big pushes in recent weeks, and the Tigers emerged to land the talented defensive lineman.

Smith, though, had a little bit more straightforward recruitment. With finalists of the South Carolina Gamecocks, Georgia Bulldogs, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, and Miami Hurricanes, Smith has been considered a heavy lean to the in-state Bulldogs for some time. Carolina gave him something to think about, but Saturday’s commitment came through for Georgia, nonetheless.

Coming soon, major South Carolina football targets like Lagonza Hayward (4-star safety), Jared Smith (5-star EDGE), Juan Gaston (4-star offensive lineman), Jaylen Gilchrist (4-star offensive lineman), Kendall Daniels (4-star safety), and Malik Clark (4-star wide receiver) are among the other high school recruits who are considering the Gamecocks and announcing their decisions soon. In each battle, USC is up against at least one perennial power, but reading the recruiting tea leaves, it seems likely that Carolina will earn commitments from at least a couple of these prospects.

The South Carolina football coaching staff have their program ranked 26th (On3) and 28th (247Sports) in the primary team recruiting rankings. Those rankings could rocket upward over the next couple of weeks if things go well for the Gamecocks.

Officials with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) are reminding anglers to steer clear of releasing a rare invasive species into the water if they happen to catch the fish.

Northern snakeheads are native to Asia and can stretch up to 3 feet in length, according to the SCDNR. 

Sightings of the predatory fish have also been reported in Georgia, Missouri, California, Hawaii, Maryland and Virginia. 

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Officials noted that this is a top-level predator, and “its introduction poses a substantial threat to native fish populations.”

Ross Self, freshwater fisheries section chief with the S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR), said in an emailed statement to Fox News Digital, “No documented sightings of northern snakehead fish in South Carolina have been reported since some were found in small numbers in private ponds in Georgia and North Carolina in 2019.”

“The only documented snakehead ever seen in South Carolina was one that was voluntarily turned into SCDNR 15 years ago by a gentleman in Lake City, who had kept it in an aquarium,” said Self.

He said the warning that SCDNR issued in 2019 remains the same: “If anglers catch one, destroy it.”

The SCDNR advises anglers who catch the fish to reel it in, “keep the fish, [then] freeze it or place it on ice and contact the S.C. Department of Natural Resources.”

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When taking pictures of a snakehead, include “closeups of its mouth, fins and tail, and note where it was caught (waterbody, landmarks or GPS coordinates),” the agency also advised.

Snakehead fish are capable of breathing out of the water and can move short distances on land, experts said. 

Northern snakehead fish entered the U.S. when aquarium owners discarded their unwanted exotic captive species into local waterways. The species can spread by swimming underwater and is capable of breathing out of the water to move short distances on land, according to the New York Invasive Species Information. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

“It is believed that the northern snakehead fish entered the United States when aquarium owners discarded their unwanted exotic captive species into local waterways,” the New York Invasive Species Information (IS) reported online.

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“Snakehead fish breeding occurs during the summer months (June to August),” the IS website said.

It said there’s not a full understanding of the snakehead fish’s reproductive cycle.

Regarding the northern snakehead, the SCNR advises anglers to “kill it immediately (remember, it can survive on land) and freeze it, take pictures of the fish, including closeups of its mouth, fins and tail and note where it was caught (waterbody, landmarks or GPS coordinates).” (SCDNR)

Species of snakehead fish were added to the list of injurious wildlife under the Lacey Act in 2002.

The Lacey Act prohibits the transportation, possession or importation of particular fish, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

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In South Carolina, it’s unlawful to possess, transport or sell live snakehead fish.

Self said that South Carolina’s native fish, a bowfin, looks similar to snakeheads, and anglers have sent SCDNR photos of bowfin from anglers who thought they might have caught a snakehead. 

He said he’s asking anglers not to persecute native bowfin just because they resemble snakeheads.

Northern snakehead sightings have been reported in Georgia, Missouri, California, Hawaii, Maryland and Virginia. Pictured at right is a snakehead fish swimming in Missouri waters. (Kim Hairston/Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images; Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC)/Katrina Thornton)

In May, for only the fourth time in the state of Missouri, an angler caught a northern snakehead fish, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) reported.

The MDC advised anglers to not release the fish or throw it along the bank. 

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Instead, anglers should photograph the fish so officials can positively identify the species and take note of the location where it was caught.

Fox News Digital’s Sydney Borchers contributed reporting. 

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – As unanswered questions swirl about how the South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ) will handle a potential influx of teenagers at its detention center in the coming months, the agency’s executive director is providing more insight into the plans.

After approval from the Richland County Council, the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center will not take in any more newly arrested juveniles come August 1.

Instead, they will be sent to DJJ.

Eden Hendrick, DJJ’s Executive Director, said in a Friday interview that the agency is working closely with jail officials to ensure a smooth transition.

But, she said, DJJ is trying to make the best of a difficult situation that will likely only make its overcrowding problems worse.

“We’re put in a situation to figure out solutions when it’s almost not feasible, but we’ve so far tried to do what we can,” Hendrick said. “It creates a terrible situation for the employees and the youth, though.”

Hendrick wishes that the agency did not need to house additional youth; however, she understands that it is completely outside of her control.

“In a perfect world, every county would have their own juvenile detention facility,” she said. “That’s what is ideal if you think about – so if a youth is arrested in Horry County or Anderson County, law enforcement has to drive all the way to Columbia, drop them off, drive all the way back, drive again 48 hours later, pick them up, drive all the way back again. That is a lot of law enforcement time wasted on transporting juveniles.”

Richland was one of just two counties left in the state to house youth at their facilities.

The law stipulates that DJJ is responsible for all juvenile detention services.

“Juvenile justice is way more complex than anyone really knows and understands,” Hendrick said. “This is not a simple fix. There’s no short fix. If this state really wants to fix our juvenile justice system and this agency, it’s going to be long-term commitment of significant funds and some real difficult changes.”

The Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) on Shivers Road in Columbia, where these teenagers will go, has a 72-person capacity.

Hendrick said, though, that over the past few years, it has always been above that number.

On Friday, 93 teens were housed there, according to Hendrick.

“Five extra causes an issue so you can imagine how many when you’re actually in double capacity causes,” she said.

One thing driving the uptick in juvenile detention is a significant increase in violent gun charges over the last few years, Hendrick said.

The county jail’s juvenile wing will not close immediately.

As many as 32 juveniles are currently being housed at Alvin S. Glenn, and are expected to be moved in November.

However, Hendrick suggested that the number may shift.

“Juvenile cases move significantly faster than general sessions cases,” she said. “So hopefully some of 32 cases will be resolved, meaning that they could come to our other facilities, be on probation, be at an alternative placement so we’re not going to get the same 32 kids that are there on August 1 on November 1.”

The main issue at the JDC, Hendrick said, is that there is not enough space.

“JDC was not designed to hold youth longer than maybe 60 days,” she said. “We have a very limited number of classrooms, very, very limited recreational space, there’s not even a gym. The cafeteria is tiny. The medical place is absolutely not functional, intake is not functional. It’s a very, very difficult building to operate just because of the way it’s designed and the actual space we have is so limited.”

If the number of juveniles at the detention center rises above 110, Hendrick said there are ongoing discussions to possibly move some of the teenagers with more serious charges to an old facility at its Broad River Road Complex (BRRC), which has not been used in decades.

Greenville’s detention facility has sat vacant since it closed in 2022.

The state has allocated funds for DJJ to use to house additional youth, but that process is not near completion.

Any adjustments are likely only temporary solutions, Hendrick said.

“Ultimately, we need a new detention facility,” she said. “There’s no way around it.”

DJJ is currently undergoing renovations at its facilities, consolidating resources and has completed a master plan.

No construction timeline has been established for a new facility, and DJJ is still seeking more money from the legislature to make that happen.

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