Five-star flip target, local product, moves up South Carolina official visit

The top prospect in the state of South Carolina for the class of 2027 is Irmo High School standout EDGE Jaiden Bryant. Bryant committed to LSU in January following Gamecock defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Sterling Lucas’ defection to the Tigers. However, the hometown team hasn’t stopped its pursuit.

On Tuesday night, Bryant was back at USC, taking part in one of South Carolina’s prospect camps. He got some time—both on the field and off it—with new defensive ends/outside linebackers coach Deion Barnes. Now, he has made a significant shift in his summer schedule.

On Wednesday, Bryant announced that he had moved his official visit to South Carolina. Instead of being on campus the weekend of June 12, he has moved up the OV to take place this weekend. Previously, he had a trip to Texas A&M on the books for this weekend. It is unclear if that official is still happening at a different time.

Bryant took an official visit to Miami last weekend and will return to LSU later in June.

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South Carolina will get a chance to take a major swing at the flip this weekend.

During a recent conversation with Rivals’ Chad Simmons, Bryant acknowledged the appeal of playing for the Gamecocks. “It’s home,” he explained, “so they are always going to be there. I have been there a lot, so I am comfortable at South Carolina.”

Bryant, now listed at 6-3 and 260 pounds, is a big-bodied EDGE player. He excels at shedding blockers, combining athleticism with impressive positional strength. Bryant plays the run very well and sets the edge at an advanced level. His pass rush juice has netted him 30 sacks the last two years.

His efforts earned him Under Armour All-American honors and back-to-back South Carolina High School League 5A Defensive MVP awards.

According to the Rivals Industry Ranking—a composite average of the rankings from Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN—Bryant is the No. 29 overall player in the class of 2029. He is also No. 4 nationally among all EDGE players. He is the top player in the state of South Carolina, regardless of position.

Bryant is an industry ranking five-star and is in five-star range, according to the player rankings from both Rivals and 247Sports.

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