South Carolina makes final list for priority four-star linebacker

Class of 2027 Swainsboro (GA) star Ja’Bios Smith has been a priority South Carolina target for some time. The Gamecocks were the first team to offer the four-star linebacker, and the relationship between the two has remained strong.

On Friday, Smith told Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett that he was down to five final schools, and, as expected, USC made the cut. Joining South Carolina, Smith also included Georgia, Florida, Texas Tech, and Texas A&M as finalists.

The Gamecocks hold the visit advantage in Smith’s recruitment, having hosted him more than 10 times. He has his South Carolina official visit slated for May 1. He also has scheduled trips to Florida (May 28), Texas A&M (June 5), Texas (June 12), and Georgia (June 19). At the time of this writing, it is unclear if he will make the trip to Texas or if he will schedule an OV to Texas Tech.

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As a player, Smith is a sideline-to-sideline defender who can do a little bit of everything at the linebacker position. According to his statistical profile on MaxPreps, he registered at least 70 tackles as both a sophomore and a junior. He has also racked up 13 tackles for loss.

Smith’s athleticism makes him a candidate to become a good coverage player at the college level, too. His athleticism and length could make him a nice fit in defensive coordinator Clayton White’s system, one in which White has no qualms about blitzing linebackers.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking—a composite average of the rankings from Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN—Smith is the No. 137 overall recruit in the class of 2027. He is also the No. 11 linebacker prospect in the country. Regardless of position, he is the No. 13 player in a loaded state of Georgia.

All three major recruiting outlets consider Smith to be a four-star prospect. ESPN even lists him as a top-100 national prospect and the 2027 cycle’s No. 2 linebacker.

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