South Carolina’s Recruiting Win: Darius Gray Stays Loyal to Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks
In a season where not much went right for South Carolina, Darius Gray has been a rare and much-needed bright spot. The four-star offensive tackle out of Richmond, Virginia, has become the face of loyalty in a sport where commitments can shift as quickly as a coaching carousel. Despite a 4-8 finish, staff turnover, and plenty of outside interest, Gray has stood firm on his pledge to the Gamecocks-and that says a lot about both the player and the program he’s betting on.
Gray committed to South Carolina back in August, when the vibes around Columbia were a lot more optimistic. The Gamecocks were riding the high of a nine-win season.
Shane Beamer had just secured a contract extension. And with a potential star quarterback returning, USC was being floated as a dark horse College Football Playoff contender.
But as the season unfolded, those lofty expectations came crashing down. South Carolina struggled mightily, especially in the trenches, giving up a league-worst 43 sacks.
Offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley-Gray’s lead recruiter-was let go in October. And while Beamer’s job is safe for now, the pressure will be on in 2026 to right the ship.
Through it all, Gray never wavered.
“It’s been a little tough, a little bit confusing as well, with like South Carolina and the coaches changing,” Gray admitted recently. “But it’s been a fun ride, and I’m excited for signing day.”
Gray could have easily reopened his recruitment. After all, when Teasley was fired, schools came calling.
Plenty of them. But Gray made it clear: as long as Shane Beamer is leading the program, he’s in.
“It kind of felt like (my recruitment) was re-opened again,” Gray said. “But I made it pretty clear that I’m gonna stick with South Carolina as long as Coach Beamer is there.”
That’s a major win for the Gamecocks. Gray isn’t just another name in the class-he’s the name.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, he’s the No. 37 overall prospect in the country, the second-best interior offensive lineman, and the No. 2 player in Virginia. If he signs as expected on Wednesday, he’ll become South Carolina’s highest-rated recruit in the 2026 class and the fourth-highest-rated signee of the Shane Beamer era-behind only edge rusher Dylan Stewart, wide receiver Nyck Harbor, and offensive lineman Josiah Thompson.
Gray had options. LSU and Tennessee were in the mix.
But when it came down to it, the deciding factor wasn’t facilities, NIL packages, or even scheme. It was Beamer.
“You would want to go to war for a guy like that, instead of someone who’s all about ball and that’s all they care about,” Gray said. “He’s not like that.
He cares about the human and their personalities and their feelings. Those type of coaches get you much farther.”
Gray’s commitment couldn’t come at a better time for South Carolina. With the offensive line needing serious reinforcements, he could be in the mix to contribute early.
The only catch? He won’t enroll until the summer, which means he’ll miss spring ball-but it also gives him time to bulk up.
At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, Gray is on the lighter side for an SEC lineman. But that’s by design.
He dropped close to 20 pounds during his senior season at St. Christopher’s School to play both sides of the line.
Now, the goal is to get back up-ideally around 290 to 295 pounds-before he arrives in Columbia.
And let’s just say, Gray doesn’t seem too worried about the weight gain.
“Last week I was just trying things out,” he said. “I was like, ‘Let’s see how fast I can put on 10 pounds.’ I put on 10 in four days.”
Unlike most linemen who load up on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and late-night milk, Gray’s approach is a little more... flavorful. His diet is heavy on protein shakes, chicken, beef-and apparently, tacos.
“Last week, I had about 15 tacos in one day,” he said. “Then I had about four pieces of chicken and probably some jambalaya with that. And four protein shakes a day.”
That’s the kind of appetite that’ll make a strength coach smile-and maybe give his parents a reason to double the grocery budget.
But jokes aside, South Carolina is getting more than just a big body. They’re getting a foundational piece. A player who believes in the vision, who stuck with the program through adversity, and who could help anchor an offensive line that desperately needs a reset.
Signing day might bring in a handful of new faces, but none more important than Darius Gray. For Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks, this isn’t just a win in the recruiting rankings-it’s a statement about the culture they’re trying to build.