Which South Carolina freshmen can make an impact in 2022? Our 5 picks for top options

South Carolina’s roster is turning in a hurry.

Head coach Shane Beamer and his staff have been as active as any in the country through the transfer portal, while it added a 2022 recruiting class that ranked No. 25 nationally, per 247Sports.

Former Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler and a handful of other imports have drawn the bulk of the headlines this offseason. But how about the youngest Gamecocks on this year’s roster?

Here are five freshmen who could make an impact this year:

Landon Samson

— WR from Southlake, Texas (Southlake Carroll) —

I’m as high as anybody on Samson and what he could bring to this Gamecocks squad as early as this season.

The Texas product comes to Columbia from a powerhouse program in Southlake Carroll and is as polished a route-runner as just about any high school kid can be at that age. He’s also more of a burner than he gets credit for given his background as a sprinter.

Samson put up big numbers against elite competition over the last two seasons, notching 2,157 yards receiving and 28 touchdowns on 123 catches as a junior and senior.

South Carolina’s receiver room is suddenly a bit more packed given the imports of Corey Rucker (Arkansas State) and Antwane Wells Jr. (James Madison). However, if there’s one offensive skill player in this class I like to find their way into the mix, it’s Samson.

Stone Blanton

— LB from Madison, Miss. (Madison-Ridgeland Academy) —

Blanton was an absolute coup for Beamer and the Gamecocks.

It’s hard to overstate how rare it is to snag kids like Blanton out of Mississippi when Ole Miss and Mississippi State are both involved in the recruiting process. But here we are.

Blanton is a bit of an old-school thumper at linebacker, yet versatile enough that he was a two-sport standout in baseball and football in high school. He’s had some injury issues in recent years, and that’s part of why his recruiting ranking dropped from the high-200s to the low-300s, though he’s still a four-star recruit in the 247Sports Composite that factors in all network rankings.

South Carolina has some needs at linebacker given the thin depth behind Brad Johnson and Sherrod Greene. Mo Kaba should be a big piece this fall. Debo Williams, too, came on strong at the end of last year and should factor into the equation.

Blanton may not be in the regular mix at linebacker immediately, but he’s a good bet to make an impact on special teams.

Nick Emmanwori

— S/LB from Columbia, SC (Irmo) —

Emmanwori is an absolute freak of an athlete and one who could find his way into the lineup if only because he’s such a unicorn.

The Irmo product recorded roughly a million tackles during his high school career — OK, I’m exaggerating a bit — and could see time at just about any position from edge to safety at the college level.

Early returns in Columbia on Emmanwori are great. The staff likes his versatility, and his combination of size and speed at 6-foot-3, 208 pounds makes him a big body in the secondary, assuming that’s where he sticks.

South Carolina, like at linebacker, is thin at safety. Central Michigan transfer Devonni Reed and R.J. Roderick should hold down the starting spots. Behind that? It’s a crapshoot.

Tanner Bailey

— QB from Gordo, Ala. (Gordo) —

To be clear, I’m not saying Bailey is going to unseat Rattler as the starting quarterback. He may not even end up as the backup with Luke Doty returning.

That said, I love what Bailey can do and I think he’ll have an immediate impact on South Carolina’s quarterback room from a competition perspective.

The Alabama native had a bit of a bizarre recruitment. He was initially committed to Oregon, but backed off that pledge when Ducks offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead took the head coaching job at Akron. Bailey took an official visit to Indiana on Dec. 10 and signs pointed toward the Hoosiers before he announced a pledge to USC a little over a week later.

Those inside South Carolina’s program were thrilled to land a player like Bailey — a top-250 recruit and the No. 15 signal-caller in the 2022 class, per the 247Sports Composite — as late as they did in the process.

Again, Bailey is more likely to have an impact behind the scenes, but he’s a legitimate multi-year starter candidate and could be the steal of this cycle for South Carolina whenever his college career comes to a close.

Keenan Nelson Jr.

— DB from Philadelphia (St. Joseph’s Prep) —

South Carolina went heavy on defensive backs in the 2022 class, and Nelson is a big piece of that.

Nelson is the second-highest rated recruit to sign with the Gamecocks this cycle and has the versatility to play both safety and cornerback at the college level.

USC, as noted, needs bodies at safety. Nelson is close to physically ready at 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, and an offseason in the South Carolina weight room only stands to help that.

The Gamecocks are fairly loaded at defensive back in 2022 with Cam Smith, David Spaulding, Darius Rush, Reed and Roderick all in the fold. Nelson, though, is an extremely talented piece who should be able to play his way into some serious snaps this year.