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Earlier this afternoon, the South Carolina Gamecocks earned a pledge from Hamsah Nasirildeen, a defensive back/athlete from Concord, North Carolina. Rivals Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Analyst Adam Friedman was first to break the news.
BREAKING: #Rivals250 DB just committed to #SouthCarolina. More at @GamecockCentral https://t.co/OuB83Hk66k
— Adam Friedman (@RivalsFriedman) August 16, 2016
Standing between 6'3 and 6'5, depending on the recruiting service, and weighing 210 lbs., Nasirildeen will be one of the biggest safeties in the league from the moment he sets foot on campus, assuming he sticks at the position. Considering his already impressive size, a move to linebacker at some point down the road seems like a distinct possibility.
#spursUp pic.twitter.com/nIEYgiinbh
— #️⃣4️⃣ (@nasirildeen) August 16, 2016
What's less up for debate is Nasirildeen's standing amongst the Gamecocks' 2017 recruiting class. He immediately jumps to the top of the class, according to 247 Sports' composite rankings, slotting in as the 139th best player in the country.
While the hiring of Will Muschamp is still questioned by many, his ability to coach up the defensive side of the ball has never been in question, and Nasirildeen's combination of size and speed figures to give him a chance for early playing time on a defense that's struggled recently.
Nasirildeen chose South Carolina over his other two finalists, Florida and Florida State, as well as offers from numerous other prominent programs. His commitment moves the Gamecocks up to 20th in the country in the 2017 team recruiting ranks.
You can check out Nasirildeen's junior season Hudl tape here: