South Carolina added another piece to its recruiting momentum on Sunday when Charlotte defensive tackle Nate Kamba flipped his commitment to the Gamecocks.
Kamba, listed at 6-3 and 300 pounds, had been leaning toward South Carolina last summer before pledging to Auburn after official visits to both schools in June. The Gamecocks never let up, though, and their persistence paid off after a weekend that included South Carolina’s comeback win over 11th-ranked Tennessee at Williams-Brice Stadium in front of a crowd full of recruiting targets.
Kamba was one of the more heavily pursued defensive linemen in the country during his recruitment. Along with Auburn, he held offers from Ohio State, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, North Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Michigan State, Southern Cal, Georgia, Missouri and others.
He has repeatedly praised Shane Beamer and defensive line coach Travian Robertson, and that relationship played a major role in his decision.
"They are wonderful people," he said after his official visit. “Of course, me and Coach Robertson talk every day.
I haven't seen him in a while in person, so it was fun to see him again. And Coach Beamer, he's a wonderful guy.
He loves to compete, and that's something about South Carolina. They love to compete.
They care about the players, they care about the community."
Robertson’s pitch also stuck with him. Kamba said the staff showed him exactly how he would fit and how they planned to use him in the defensive front.
"They're going to put me in the best situation for me to make plays," Kamba said. "And one thing about good about Coach T Rob, all of his drills and everything they do with practice translates in the game.
So you're not just going to do some random thing in a drill and practice. He's going to put us in the right position to make plays and to get sacks."
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The timing matters because Clemson is sitting at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the league, while Syracuse enters at 3-4 and 1-4 in conference play. The broadcast window may be a modest one, but the stakes are real enough for a game that could help shape how the Tigers are viewed the rest of the month, especially with the rest of the schedule still unfolding ahead. [Read more 🡒]