There's nothing quite like a surprise commitment for a college football fanbase.
South Carolina Gamecocks fans got a huge win on Thursday. On3's Hayes Fawcett released a graphic announcing that the program had landed 4-star wide receiver Lex Cyrus out of Pennsylvania.
It's a huge surprise for South Carolina. On3 gave the Gamecocks just a 2.4 percent chance at landing Cyrus. The Penn State Nittany Lions were the overwhelming favorites for the 4-star receiver with 94.3 percent odds.
That's expected for an in-state recruit, especially one who took multiple visits to Happy Valley. Instead, the 4-star receiver was drawn in by the culture the Gamecocks are building.
“With South Carolina, all the facilities and stuff are great, but they were really stressing what’s important to them, like family and their culture and being locked in,” Cyrus told BlueWhiteIllustrated in May. “So, I learned that they have a fun team mentality and really make sure they’re bonding, but when it’s time to get on the field, they want you locked in."
Cyrus isn't the biggest receiver at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds, however his skill set drew enough interest that programs like the Oregon Ducks, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and dozens of other FBS programs had offered him a scholarship.
It's the biggest recruit that the Gamecocks have been able to land for their 2025 recruiting class. While they're only a modest 11th in the SEC, the top of their class now features a pair of receivers in Cyrus and 4-star receiver Brian Rowe.
Whoever South Carolina's quarterback ends up being in a few years is going to have a lot of fun throwing to those two.
