Brandon McIlwain

Second-year player who gained valuable experience after enrolling at South Carolina in January of 2016… his time with the football team this spring will be limited as he is also part of the Carolina baseball team… serves as an outfielder on the diamond for the Gamecocks.

2016: True freshman who played in eight games… was 1-2 as a starter… completed 62-of-118 passes for 600 yards with two TDs and one interception… added 63 carries for 127 yards and two scores… made his debut at Vanderbilt, playing most of the second quarter… finished 5-for-11 for 35 yards while rushing seven times for 29 yards against the Commodores… played the second half at Mississippi State… was 11-for-22 for 126 yards and two scores… threw his first career TD pass in the 3rd quarter, connecting with A.J. Turner from 18 yards out… made his first career start against East Carolina… went 16-for-28 for 195 yards, and gained 34 yards on nine carries with two rushing touchdowns… found the end zone from nine yards out on the first play from scrimmage, and scored a 10-yard rushing touchdown on the second drive of the game… went 15-for-30 for 177 yards at Kentucky… was 9-for-15 for 34 yards with one interception and carried the ball 12 times for seven yards against Texas A&M… carried the ball five times for 17 yards in the UMass win… played the majority of the second half at Clemson… went 6-for-11 for 33 yards through the air… added five carries for 13 yards… named to the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll following the season.

HIGH SCHOOL: Two-sport standout who graduated from Council Rock North High School in Newtown, Pa. in December 2015 and enrolled at South Carolina in January… threw for 1,720 yards and 18 touchdowns on 147-of-252 passing and rushed for 1,545 yards and 31 touchdowns on 227 carries as a senior, helping the Indians to the Suburban One League Continental Conference title, their first since 2006, and a 7-4 mark overall… as a defensive back, he collected 62 tackles and two interceptions, returning one for a score for the Indians… played for head coach Adam Collachi… named the Pennsylvania Gatorade Player of the Year, the AP Class AAAA Player of the Year, a Mini Max Award from the prestigious Maxwell Club, Southeastern Pennsylvania Player of the Year by The Inquirer, CBS Philly’s Player of the Year and the Maxwell Club PA Player of the Year… during his junior season he threw for 2,100 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 1,100 yards and 20 scores… named an Elite 11 quarterback after his summertime performance at The Opening national event… in four years he produced 10,427 total yards of offense and 124 touchdowns (6,545 yards and 54 TDs passing; 3,882 yards and 70 TDs rushing)… Rivals considers him a four-star prospect, the eighth-best player in Pennsylvania and the 13th-best dual-threat quarterback in the nation… 247Sports ranks him as a four-star recruit, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback in the country and No. 153 overall… ESPN has him as a four-star recruit, the fourth-best player in the state, the nation’s seventh-best dual threat quarterback and No. 118 overall… rated a PrepStar All-American, a four-star prospect and No. 251 overall… on the diamond, he hit .414 with seven homers, 28 RBI and 22 stolen bases for a team that went 19-6 and reached the state quarterfinals… also logged a 7-3 record and 1.26 ERA on the mound with 42 strikeouts and 13 walks… was a Perfect Game All-American and played in the Area Code Games… considered to be a potential first round pick in the baseball draft as he was rated the No. 16 best high school prospect for the 2016 MLB Draft by Baseball America and DI Baseball.

PERSONAL: Brandon McIlwain was born May 31, 1998… is pursuing a degree in political science… hopes to obtain a joint MBA/JD degree… father, Roddy, was born in Columbia and is a South Carolina graduate… grandmother lives in Irmo.