No. 13 South Carolina started the 2025 season with a big win over Virginia Tech on Sunday. The Gamecocks looked like one of the top teams in the country this past weekend, but the program is finding success not just on the field.
It’s also on the recruiting trail, as one of the top players in the 2027 cycle recently explained why South Carolina is firmly one of his top choices, crediting head coach Shane Beamer.
Top 2027 5-Star Reveals Why Shane Beamer Has South Carolina in the Mix
Not only did South Carolina open the 2025 season with a win over Virginia Tech, the former school of Beamer’s father, Frank Beamer, but they did so in front of 2027 five-star cornerback Joshua Dobson, who was in Atlanta for the Gamecocks’ matchup against the Hokies.
Can’t wait to see South Carolina today vs Virginia Tech #gococks @CoachSBeamer @DC15sports @SC_DBGROUP @JibrilleFewell @the_real_GP @ZLendyak @JamaleFoster
@CoachSweeting @Coach_Swagg4 @SWiltfong_ @samspiegs @TomLoy247 @ChadSimmons_ @AnnaH247 @adamgorney @247recruiting pic.twitter.com/gwzoRQ9S9L— 5⭐️Joshua Dobson (@JoshDobsonDB) August 31, 2025
A South Carolina native, Dobson plays at Catawba Ridge High School in Florence, S.C. Rivals ranks him as the No. 4 overall recruit in the class of 2027, and he’s the No. 1 prospect from the state.
Being from South Carolina, Dobson has been pursued by Beamer and the Gamecocks for over a year, with the program offering him a scholarship in May 2024. After South Carolina’s victory over the Hokies, Dobson told Rivals why the program is one of his top schools, praising Beamer’s ability to build strong relationships with his players.
“The players love coach Beamer,” Dobson told Rivals. “It’s about how he relates to all his players so well. When you have a coach like that, it makes you want to go all out for him.”
LaNorris Sellers gave the game ball to Frank Beamer 🥹 pic.twitter.com/MYLhKI3ehQ
— ESPN (@espn) August 31, 2025
It’s not just Beamer’s personality that makes South Carolina one of Dobson’s top choices; it’s also what the head coach has accomplished on the recruiting trail in recent years. Dobson believes the Gamecocks are very close to becoming a national title contender.
“Carolina is definitely on the up,” Dobson said. “They have been building great recruiting boards and gathering top talent in South Carolina. I believe they can make a run sooner than later for a national title.”
While it’s clear that Dobson is very high on South Carolina, the five-star is being heavily pursued by the Clemson Tigers, an ACC powerhouse, as well as other big-time SEC programs like Tennessee.
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It will take a lot for Beamer to land a player of Dobson’s caliber over schools like those, but the young cornerback seems very interested in the Gamecocks, and they could be the team to beat in his recruitment.
Dobson just started his junior year at Catawba Ridge, so there’s plenty of time before he commits, but if South Carolina continues to win this season, there’s a real chance he chooses the Gamecocks sooner rather than later.
South Carolina continues their 2025 season on Saturday, September 6, with a game against FCS South Carolina State.
