South Carolina football will be losing several important linebackers from the 2024 team to graduation as Debo Williams, Bam Martin-Scott, Demetrius Knight, and Bangally Kamara are all seniors and should be heavy parts of the rotation at the linebacker position this season. The Gamecocks have some young talent at the spot, too, but with at least four players on their way out next winter, recruiting high school linebackers will be important for USC this year.

Carolina is heavily involved with several class of 2025 linebacker prospects, but arguably the most talented of the group is consensus 4-star Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng. He is a top-75 national prospect according to three of the four major recruiting outlets. Over the weekend, Owusu-Boateng announced his top-13 schools, and South Carolina football made the cut.

The South Carolina Gamecocks are joined in Owusu-Boateng’s top-13 by the Stanford Cardinal, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Florida Gators, Louisville Cardinals, Georgia Bulldogs, Michigan Wolverines, Texas Longhorns, Florida State Seminoles, Southern Cal Trojans, Oregon Ducks, Miami Hurricanes, and Ohio State Buckeyes.

As a player, Owusu-Boateng is a monster. Ranked as high as the #1 linebacker in the class (Rivals), the man they call “Wu” is a heat-seeking missile on the defensive side of the football. Wherever the ball is, Owusu-Boateng is surely on his way, and he arrives with ill intentions for his opponent. NOB is a big hitter despite weighing just 210 pounds.

Owusu-Boateng is an extremely gifted athlete with the ability to cover offensive skill position players, which is a critical ability at the collegiate level. On film, his athleticism is evident as he consistently pursues down offensive players and blocks running lanes with his quick closing speed.

Originally from Virginia (under head coach Shane Beamer, the Gamecocks have done a great job recruiting the DMV and Virginia), Owusu-Boateng moved south to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida. IMG has proven to be a difficult recruit for the Gamecocks, but they appear to be serious contenders for Owusu-Boateng.