Dec. 17, 2014

The University of South Carolina football program announced several mid-year signings.

Those who have officially signed paperwork include:

ERNEST HAWKINS

Linebacker 6-1 212

Baltimore, Md. (Dunbar/Hartnell College)

Junior college transfer who played one year at Hartnell College in Salinas, Calif… earned first-team all-conference honors in the Golden Coast Conference for a Panther team that went 9-2… credited with 56 tackles in just eight games played with 12.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks… considered a three-star prospect by Rivals.com… 247Sports ranked him as a three-star prospect, the 25th-best JUCO player in California, the fourth-best JUCO inside linebacker and the nation’s 104th-best JUCO player overall… also considered Colorado and Hawaii after his year of junior college… graduated from Dunbar High in Baltimore in 2012… originally signed with UTEP, but did not attend school until enrolling at Hartnell in 2014… will have four years to play three.

JALEN HENRY

Linebacker 5-10 216

Foley, Ala. (Foley)

Graduated from Foley (Ala.) High School in December 2014… will enroll at Carolina in January… coached by Todd Watson… team reached the state 7-A semifinals with a 10-4 record… selected for the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star game following his senior season… missed the majority of his junior season after breaking his foot in the second game of the year… led his team in tackles as a sophomore… also played baseball and basketball… considered a three-star prospect and the 30th-best player in the state by Rivals… considered a three-star prospect, the 37th-best player in Alabama and the nation’s 36th-best inside linebacker according to 247Sports… also considered Southern Miss.

ULRIC JONES

Defensive Line 6-7 283

Oxford, Ala. (Oxford/Butler CC)

Junior college player who played at Butler (Kan.) Community College… coached by Troy Morrell… earned honorable mention all-conference accolades in the Jayhawk Conference at defensive end… credited with 43 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks in 2014 for a Grizzlies team that went 8-3… originally committed to Maryland before selecting the Gamecocks… graduated from Oxford (Ala.) High School in 2013… selected Mississippi State out of high school… will have three years to play two.

MARQUAVIUS LEWIS

Defensive End 6-3 266

Greenwood, S.C. (Greenwood/Hutchinson CC)

Junior college transfer who played at Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College for head coach Rion Rhoades… named the Jayhawk Conference Defensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference… twice earned conference Player of the Week accolades and once garnered national Player of the Week honors… credited with 63 tackles in 12 games including 20.5 tackles for loss and 11.0 sacks… had 21 quarterback hurries, forced two fumbles and recovered one… helped the Blue Dragons to an 11-win season for the first time in the program’s 83-year history and a No. 4 final ranking, their highest ever in the NJCAA Football Poll… in 2013 he logged 63 tackles with 19 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, 15 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a blocked kick… graduated from Greenwood (S.C.) High School in 2012… attended Greenville Tech in the fall of 2012 before transferring to Hutch… is a four-star prospect and ranked as the second-best junior college player in the country according to Rivals… 247Sports considers him the best strong-side defensive end and the No. 2 player overall in the JUCO ranks… also considered Auburn before choosing the Gamecocks… has two years to play two.

CHRISTIAN OWENS

Wide Receiver 6-5 210

Griffin, Ga. (Griffin)

Lanky wide receiver who graduated from Griffin (Ga.) High School in December to enroll at South Carolina in January… the Bears, under head coach Jarrett Laws, went 11-1 in 2014… as a junior he had 23 catches for 600 yards and three touchdowns… considered a four-star prospect, the 33rd-best player in Georgia and the 12th-best tight end in the country by Rivals…247Sports considers him a three-star prospect, the 62nd-best player in Georgia and the nation’s 68th-best wide receiver… also played basketball in high school… originally committed to Georgia and had offers from Clemson, Louisville, North Carolina and Tennessee among others.

SHERROD PITTMAN

Linebacker 6-0 215

Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast)

Linebacker who graduated from First Coast High School in Jacksonville, Fla. in December and will enroll at Carolina in January… coached by Marty Lee… Buccaneers went 12-1 in his senior season… broke his leg late in his senior season… considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, the nation’s third-best inside linebacker, the 16th-best player in the state of Florida and the nation’s 85th-best player overall… 247Sports ranks him as a four-star prospect, the 29th-best player in Florida, the nation’s 17-best outside linebacker and the 232nd-best player overall… also considered Louisville and Southern California.

DARIN SMALLS

Safety 5-11 180

Summerville, S.C. (Summerville)

Defensive back who originally signed with the Gamecocks in February 2014 but did not enroll in school… played for legendary coach John McKissick at Summerville (S.C.) High School, graduating in 2014… the Green Wave went 11-3 and reached the state semifinals in his senior season… suffered a knee injury in his final campaign… logged 60 tackles and intercepted six passes as a sophomore, returning two for touchdowns… also competed in baseball and track… Rivals.com considers him a three-star prospect, the 11th-best player in the state and the 37th-best cornerback in the country… Scout.com ranks him as a three-star prospect and the 53rd-best cornerback in the country… considered a three-star prospect, the 15th-best player in the state, and the 37th-best safety in the nation, according to 247Sports.com… ESPN considered him a three-star prospect, the 23rd-best safety in the nation and the 14th-best player in the state… ranked by PrepStar as a three-star prospect and an All-Atlantic Region pick… had more than a dozen major college offers.

JERAD WASHINGTON

Wide Receiver 5-8 160

Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. (First Coast)

Speedy wide receiver who graduated from First Coast High School in Jacksonville in December 2014… will enroll at Carolina in January… helped the Buccaneers under head coach Marty Lee to a 12-1 record as a senior… caught 52 passes for 889 yards… a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com… 247Sports ranked him as a three-star prospect, the 202nd-best player in Florida and the nation’s 173rd-best wide receiver… also had interest from Kentucky and North Carolina.

DEXTER WIDEMAN

Defensive Tackle 6-4 270

Saluda, S.C. (Saluda/Camden Military)

Defensive lineman who originally signed with the Gamecocks in February 2014… spent the fall at Camden (S.C.) Military Academy… considered a four-star prospect and the top prep school recruit in the country by 247Sports… graduated from Saluda (S.C.) High School in 2014… the Tigers went 5-6 under head coach Wayne Bell in 2013… played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and in the Under Armour All-America game following his senior season… logged four tackles in the Shrine Bowl… credited with 64 tackles and seven sacks in 2012… logged 61 tackles with 14.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 2011… Rivals.com considers him a four-star prospect, the fifth-best player in the state, the 15th-best defensive tackle in the country and No. 237 on the Rivals250… Scout.com ranks him as a four-star prospect, the 22nd-best defensive tackle in the country and No. 266 overall… 247Sports.com lists him as a four-star prospect, the nation’s No. 7 defensive tackle, the second-best player in the state and No. 64 on its Top247 list… ESPN considers him a four-star prospect, the 12th-best defensive tackle in the nation, No. 179 on the ESPN300 list and the sixth-best player in the state… ranked by PrepStar as a four-star prospect and No. 141 on the Top 150 Dream Team… originally committed to Florida State.