Commitment breakdown: Rivals250 DL Monteque Rhames picks South Carolina

South Carolina's 2023 recruiting class got a big boost from the commitment of Monteque Rhames. The Rivals250 defensive lineman out of Sumter, S.C. announced his commitment to the Gamecocks on Saturday night, choosing them over the likes of Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, and N.C. State.

Rhames is strong as an ox and has a skill set that will allow him to play all across the line of scrimmage. He is a bigger defensive end with good speed and balance around the edge. Rhames has a frame that can hold a lot more weight. He could get to 270-280-pounds and move inside, where his quickness and strength could present mismatches. Rhames does a good job at the high school level of quickly dispatching the offensive lineman in front of him to get into the backfield. He has fairly long arms and he knows how to use them so he can slip passed offensive linemen. Rhames isn't exactly the athlete to stand up in space but he can play on the outside of the defensive line and keep the play from getting around him.

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Shane Beamer and his staff are getting the Gamecocks off to a solid start on their 2023 defensive line class. Rhames was an important target for South Carolina as an in-state prospect and he should be able to replace some of the elite talent that could be leaving for the NFL after the upcoming season. His commitment pushes this South Carolina recruiting class into the top 35 of the team rankings.

South Carolina will also look to Rhames to help recruit two other in-state Rivals250 prospects, Xzavier McLeod and Markee Anderson. McLeod isn't scheduled to announce his commitment anytime soon but Anderson will be committing tomorrow.