South-Carolina
What men in SC should know about the automatic draft registration
US military draft will switch to automatic registration by December
By December 2026, eligible men will start being automatically registered into the U.S. military draft.
South Carolina residents could soon see a change in how the nation manages military enlistment, as the federal government moves to automatically register eligible men for the draft pool.
Federal data sources such as department of motor vehicle or Social Security Administration will be used beginning in December to register men ages 18-25, according to the Selective Service’s agency website.
The shift marks a departure from the previous requirement that eligible men manually register with the Selective Service within 30 days of turning 18 or face penalties for non-compliance.
The updated draft pool process marks the first significant change to Selective Service procedures in decades.
President Trump signs the 2026 NDAA
The revised registration process was enacted as part of the fiscal 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in December.
Original military draft 1948
The original Military Selective Service Act, established in 1948, provides the legal framework for the draft.
It enables Congress to recruit eligible individuals into the armed forces while outlining provisions for exemptions, deferments, and religious objections.
The recent changes to the registration process aims to streamline the process.
Who is required to register for the draft?
As reported by the Selective Service website, all men are required to register for the draft within 30 days of turning 18.
This includes men who are “religiously or morally opposed to participating in war as religious or moral objectors,” according to the Selective Service System.
Undocumented men residing in the United States also must register.
Men with disabilities and medical conditions are also required to register “in most cases,” though they may be considered for exemptions or deferments based on individual circumstances.
Women can enlist to serve in the military but are not required to register for the draft.
Military draft exceptions
Military draft exceptions are granted under specific conditions, according to the Selective Service website.
For instance, if a man is institutionalized in a hospital, nursing home, or similar facility from before his 18th birthday until his 26th birthday without any breaks of 30 days or longer, he is exempt from registration.
Additionally, those confined to their homes who require medical assistance to leave are also exempt from the draft registration requirement.
Can you refuse to register for the military draft?
Refusing to register for the military draft is a serious offense under U.S. law.
According to the Selective Service, failing to register can result in a felony charge, punishable by fines up to $250,000 and imprisonment for up to five years.
Could the military draft return?
Currently, there is no active draft, as the United States relies on an all-volunteer military force.
The draft system remains in place as a contingency, allowing the government to reinstate it in case of national emergency or significant military conflicts.
According to historical archives, the last time the draft was used was in December 1972 during the Vietnam War, after which the U.S. transitioned to a volunteer-based military system.
Travis Jacque Rose is the trending news reporter for the Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at trose@gannett.com.
South-Carolina
ICYMI: South Carolina Adds Several 2027 Targets During Huge Recruiting Week
Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks had a nice last seven days on the recruiting ground as they have landed three players and in the top five of some elite talent. Here’s everything you missed recruiting wise from last week and an updated look at the Gamecocks’ 2027 class.
Judah Lancaster, the team’s most recent commit, is a 6-foot-5 and 230+ pound tight end from Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee. His weight and frame are the type of build power four teams covet. Having a great tight end can create mismatches for modern college football offenses. Should Lancaster become that level of player, future Gamecock quarterbacks should be excited for the weapon at their disposal.
South Carolina found its highest rated recruit of the 2027 class so far in the form of big 314 pound defensive lineman John Archer. The top ten player in the state of North Carolina is a “disruptive” interior force on a defensive line. Archer has the potential to be a star at the next level given the right situation. Should he reach his potential in Columbia, the Gamecocks would have a force along the interior of their defense that could help them with a playoff push.
DJ Huggins is a 5-foot-10 and 165 pound wide out from Kennesaw, Georgia. The Harrison High School star held offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia, and others before ultimately choosing South Carolina.
South Carolina’s 2027 Class
Archer, Huggins, and Lancaster join a class that features safety Jernard Albright, quarterback Jerry Meyer III, and offensive lineman Will Endicott. A class that was ranked outside the top 60 just a few days ago, is now squarely inside the top 40. Shane Beamer and his team aren’t nearly finished with this class and will be looking to find themselves once again inside the top 25 recruiting rankings when this cycle finishes.
The South Carolina coaching staff has their eyes set on a few key targets as the summer recruiting period picks up. Four-star running backs David “Tre” Segarra and Brayden Tyson, four-star safety Jayden Aparicio-Bailey, and four-star edge rusher James Pace III all listed the Gamecocks among their final five schools for this cycle.
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South-Carolina
Former South Carolina wing, Lexington native, lands at new program via transfer portal
Former Gamecock basketball wing Cam Scott has found a new home. Following a second offseason in which the Lexington, South Carolina native entered the transfer portal, the Temple Owls have announced that Scott has signed with the program.
A former five-star prospect (though he was a four-star by the time he signed), Scott’s South Carolina basketball career did not go the way many envisioned when he flipped from the Texas Longhorns in the class of 2024.
During his high school days, Scott was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the Palmetto State. He also set numerous records at Lexington High School. He signed with Texas before eventually winding up with the Gamecocks.
Scott then spent two years in garnet and black. As a freshman, he struggled mightily, averaging 2.5 points while shooting 27.8% from the field and 17.8% from 3-point range. After entering and withdrawing from the transfer portal, he returned to USC for a second season. However, Scott never played again, choosing to redshirt the 2025-2026 campaign.
Because of the redshirt, Scott will have three years left to play at Temple.
The Insiders Forum: Discuss South Carolina basketball!
Scott joins six former teammates in finding new homes via the transfer portal. All seven of South Carolina’s transfers this cycle have dropped down to mid-major programs.
Forward EJ Walker (Western Kentucky), forward Jordan Butler (Furman), forward Elijah Strong (St. Louis), post player Christ Essandoko (Bowling Green), guard Eli Ellis (Charlotte), and wing Abu Yarmah (Longwood) have all revealed commitments this transfer cycle.
Following another tough season in Columbia, South Carolina will have a very different roster next year. With five graduates and seven transfer portal defections (plus multiple staff changes), the Gamecocks nearly experienced complete turnover.
So far, six players have pledged their services to Lamont Paris’ team out of the transfer portal. Kory Mincy (George Mason), Camden Heide (Texas), Aleksas Bieliauskas (Wisconsin), Shane Blakeney (Drexel), Jakub Necas (Duquesne), and Davion Hannah (Alabama) have committed as of the time of this writing.
South-Carolina
LSU completes sweep of South Carolina, 7-0
BATON ROUGE, LA (USC SID) – The University of South Carolina baseball team fell to LSU, 7-0, Sunday afternoon (May 3) at Alex Box Stadium.
Omar Serna gave LSU a 2-0 lead in the third with a home run to left. Cade Arrambide’s sacrifice fly put the Tigers up 3-0 in the fifth. Tanner Reaves’ RBI single gave LSU a 4-0 lead but Ethan Lizama’s throw to the plate was called interference by Derek Curiel, holding the Tigers to one run.
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LSU scored a pair of runs in the sixth and added on in the seventh to make it 7-0.
KJ Scobey had two of Carolina’s five hits in the contest. Alex Valentin took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in four innings with six strikeouts.
POSTGAME NOTES
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Josh Gregoire came in to pitch in his hometown of Baton Rouge. He pitched 1.1 innings and allowed a hit with no runs.
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Carolina had three errors on the day.
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Carolina played in Baton Rouge for the first time since 2011.
UP NEXT
Carolina will take the midweek off for final exams and return to action on Friday afternoon (May 8) against Alabama. The game will start at 5:30 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network.
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