South Carolina’s coaching staff is staying aggressive on the recruiting trail, and their latest stop shows just how serious they are about building a dominant defense for the future.
Head coach Shane Beamer, alongside defensive ends and outside linebackers coach Deion Barnes, paid a visit to Jones High School in Orlando, Florida, to check in on one of the top EDGE prospects in the 2027 class - Frederick Ards. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Ards brings the kind of length and athleticism that jumps off the tape, and he’s already turning heads nationally.
According to 247Sports, Ards is ranked as the No. 108 overall player in the country and the No. 16 EDGE in his class. The 247Sports Composite is even higher on him, slotting him as the No. 96 overall prospect - a clear indication that his stock is on the rise as more programs get eyes on his film.
And make no mistake - the competition for Ards is heating up. He’s already picked up offers from a long list of major programs, including Arkansas, Florida State, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Texas A&M. South Carolina extended their offer back on April 1, and they’ve been staying in the mix ever since.
Ards' junior season production backs up the hype. In 14 games, he racked up 73 total tackles, 13 of those for loss, and 11 sacks. That kind of impact on the edge is rare at the high school level - he’s not just flashing potential, he’s already producing like a future Power Five difference-maker.
The Gamecocks have made a strong impression early. Ards was on campus for South Carolina’s final Shane Beamer camp of the summer, giving the staff a chance to see him up close in a competitive setting. He also made the trip to Columbia to catch South Carolina’s game against Vanderbilt at Williams-Brice Stadium - a key visit that gave him a taste of the program’s game-day atmosphere.
Earlier on the same day as the visit to Jones High, Beamer and defensive coordinator Clayton White were also out on the road, continuing their push to connect with top-tier defensive talent. The Gamecocks are clearly prioritizing their future pass rush, and with Ards, they’re targeting a player who could be a cornerstone of that effort.
Recruiting at this level is all about relationships and persistence, and South Carolina is showing they’re willing to put in the work. Ards is still early in his recruitment, but with his size, motor, and production, he’s going to be a name to watch closely over the next few years - and the Gamecocks are making sure they’re in that conversation from the jump.