South Carolina Offers Rising OL Prospect Ty Johnson After Impressive Junior Day Visit
Lucy Beckham offensive tackle Ty Johnson has been stacking offers like pancakes lately-and not just the kind he's used to serving up on the field. The 6-foot-6, 300-pound junior has seen his recruitment catch fire over the past few weeks, and things hit another gear this past Saturday when he made the snowy trek to Columbia for South Carolina’s junior day. By the time the visit wrapped up, Johnson had a new offer in hand-this one straight from head coach Shane Beamer and new offensive line coach Randy Clements.
For an in-state prospect like Johnson, getting that Gamecocks offer carries some extra weight.
“In state, it’s pretty big,” Johnson said. “It’s a good offer to have. I’m really excited to take this next step with them.”
And that next step includes building a relationship with Clements, who’s just getting started in Columbia but already making an impression on recruits. Johnson said he spent a significant chunk of time with the new O-line boss during the visit, and the early feedback was encouraging.
“He really likes me where I’m at physically right now,” Johnson said. “He likes my game play.
He wants me at tackle. He wants to start me out at tackle.
If I end up going to the interior, then I end up going to the interior. It’s not the end of the world.
But he thinks he can have me play tackle. That’s his goal when I come up in the spring.”
That kind of flexibility-and the willingness to embrace it-speaks volumes about Johnson’s mindset. At his size, with his athleticism, he’s the kind of prospect who can anchor the edge or slide inside depending on a team’s needs. Clements clearly sees tackle potential, and Johnson is ready to take on that challenge.
The South Carolina trip marked just his second campus visit of January. He had planned to hit Virginia and Virginia Tech last weekend, but weather had other ideas.
His only other visit this month? Georgia-where his father suited up as an offensive lineman back in the mid-1990s.
The Bulldogs didn’t let the family legacy go unnoticed, offering Johnson during the visit.
“He was calm, but at the same time, he was excited,” Johnson said of his father’s reaction. “He’s been open about this whole process.
He’s not like one of those, ‘you either go to Georgia or nothing.’ He’s been very open about it in the process, so it’s been good.”
That open-minded approach is serving Johnson well, because his options are growing by the day. In addition to South Carolina and Georgia, he’s recently picked up offers from Duke, Wake Forest, Oklahoma State, North Carolina and Stanford. Other offers include Virginia Tech, East Carolina, Coastal Carolina, UAB, UMass and Campbell.
Johnson’s next phase will be a busy one. He’s planning more visits this spring-trips that will go beyond the typical junior day experience.
For him, it’s about getting a closer look at how coaches run practices and interact with their players. That behind-the-scenes insight could help shape his decision down the road.
While no official visits have been locked in just yet, Johnson did mention three programs that are already on his spring itinerary: South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina.
With his frame, his versatility, and the attention he’s drawing from Power Five programs across the country, Ty Johnson is a name to watch in the 2025 recruiting cycle. And if his January is any indication, things are just getting started.