How Will South Carolina Rebound After Landon Duckworth Decommitment

Unfortunate news came across the World Wide Web Tuesday night when ’26 quarterback Landon Duckworth decided to re-enter the recruiting scene.

In his tweet, which received 74k impressions and counting, Duckworth released a statement regarding the breaking news:

“Nothing but love for Dowell Loggains, Coach Beamer, Riley Watkins, the Gamecocks staff, and Gamecock Nation for believing in me!” This definitely hurts if you’re a Gamecock faithful; however, fans, this is just the new nature of the beast in recruiting. The days of seeing underclassmen stick with one team are few and far between. Welcome the days where most want to enjoy the recruitment process for at least three years before a concrete decision is made. For all we know, the Jackson, Alabama native may end up finding his way back to Columbia for a couple of OVs before signing his letter of intent. One thing’s for certain: Coach Beamer and the Gamecock coaching staff take building relationships seriously. They’re always on the go, visiting with priority and local recruits.

However, what’s the next move?

As the 2027 recruiting class begins to take shape, the Gamecocks have extended offers to three elite ’27 quarterbacks: dual-threat William Jackson, Champ Smith, and Trent Seaborn.

In the constantly ever-changing world of recruitment, William Jackson, an Orlando, Florida native, may be the most complete prospect of the quarterbacks as well as the tallest of the trio at 6-foot-4. He’s a dual-threat quarterback who has a skill for putting touch on the football. The right-hander plays with tremendous balance in the pocket, allowing him to move nimbly and drive the ball downfield. According to Prep Redzone, the unranked quarterback is said to be the real deal.

It’s been an active off-season for the central Florida native. In between workouts and spring and summer football obligations, he’s been present at this year’s UA Camp and Elite Camps. Jackson was offered by South Carolina on the 11th of June. He currently holds 21 offers.

Champ Smith, a Florida native, is another young quarterback getting reps early. He saw varsity reps in his eighth grade year, completing 59 percent of his passes for 1,273 yards with 18 TDs and 2 INTs. As a freshman (2024), he led Jupiter Christian to a 6-3 record in Florida’s independent Sunshine State division, throwing for 1,972 yards with 20 TDs and 7 INTs. Making the decision to up and move, Smith will be relocating to the 305 district, preparing to wear blue and red for Christopher Columbus. Brian Griese is the only alumni in Columbus high school history to earn an NFL roster spot. Standing at 6-foot-1, Smith has been ranked as the 11th best pro-style quarterback in ’27, per QB Hitlist; therefore, it’s no surprise to see he has multiple Power 5 offers, including South Carolina, who pulled the trigger on the first of June.

Trent Seaborn may be the most intriguing quarterback prospect of the three. It was reported in The State that Seaborn is a Hawaii native and moved to Alabaster, AL at the Tagovailoa’s recommendation. Last year with Thompson, Seaborn led the Trojans to the 7A championship where they lost to the Central Phoenix; however, he still won the 7A championship player of the game and Maxpreps National Player of The Year Award. As a freshman, he passed for 2,601 yards, 27 TDs, and 6 INTs. Seaborn was the first to receive a South Carolina offer (May 22).

Ultimately, we won’t know the magnitude of Duckworth’s recent decommit until likely signing day. As we saw last year with Jalewis Solomon, if Coach Beamer and co. truly believe in a prospect and the relationship is there (which it definitely is), it’s very possible to un-flip the player.

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