One of the top available wide receiver recruits in the southern footprint has come off the board.
Debron Gatling, state champion on the outside from Milton (Ga.) High School, announced a verbal commitment to the University of South Carolina as part of his school's National Signing Day ceremony on Wednesday morning.
ACC programs Louisville and Georgia Tech had also been in the running for the one-time Texas A&M commitment, but he'll remain in the SEC after his time as an Under Armour All-American comes to a close early next month.
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The USC victory comes after a late push from head coach Shane Beamer and company, which weren't among the finalists for Gatling when he made his initial commitment last December.
The big, productive senior joins a Gamecock class right in the thick of the top 25 classes nationally at the moment. The class is up to a half-dozen Peach State prospects within it at this time, too.
As a senior, Gatling was again a key cog for Milton High, this time ending with a state championship run. He amassed 892 yards and 11 touchdowns on 77 receptions in 2023, this third straight varsity campaign with at least 600 yards and nine scores to his name. Through his prep career, the new Gamecock hauled in nearly 3,000 yards worth of passes, including 33 in the end zone.
What it means
Gatling could be the final piece to what should be a rock solid wide receiver group headed to Columbia. In-stater Mazeo Bennett is the positional headliner based on position projection, though four-star athlete Jalewis Solomon could ultimately also land at the position.
Within the group, Gatling is probably more of a possession wide receiver, coming in with the most physically-developed frame along with that long term production. A good route-runner, increased polish at the catch point could help his game reach the next level early in his collegiate career in the SEC.
Within the USC class, it also plays well that Gatling comes from a premier Atlanta-area program. It's a pipeline area that the program has to continue to recruit consistently regardless of position.
