Jalen Christian Commits to South Carolina: What 4-Star ATH Brings to Gamecocks
South Carolina scooped up its third key offensive commitment of the month Thursday when dynamic Maryland athlete Jalen Christian joined the class. The 4-star prospect picked South Carolina over a slew of other offers, adding another threat to head coach Steve Spurrier's arsenal:
Christian, a strong candidate to line up at wide receiver in Columbia, continues an impressive recruiting streak for the Gamecocks offense.
Lorenzo Nunez, a 4-star dual-threat quarterback from Georgia, chose South Carolina from a final mix that featured Ohio State and North Carolina State on May 8. Kyle Markway, a 3-star St. Louis tight end, committed three days later.
Christian further fuels a future attack that already includes 3-star receivers Dexter Neal (Georgia) and Michael Bowman (North Carolina). The 5'10", 165-pound playmaker presents problems for opponents in the slot, much like former South Carolina standout and 2014 San Francisco 49ers draft pick Bruce Ellington.
His speed (clocked at 4.52 seconds in the 40-yard dash, per 247Sports) complements a solid physical build. Christian can fight through tackles and sprint past a crowd after catching the football.
He is rated No. 10 nationally among athletes in 247Sports' composite rankings.
Christian was candid while discussing the possibility of pledging to South Carolina earlier this week.
"Getting close, real close. South Carolina is my leader," he told GoUpState.com reporter Phil Kornblut. "Everything after them is kind of canceled out. I'm still talking to my mom about everything. I guess we'll see but I'm coming close, though."
Just a few days later, Christian officially became a Gamecock.
Despite missing three games due to injury, he managed a productive junior season at Damascus High School. Christian's rushing and receiving efforts combined for approximately 1,3000 offensive yards, per GoUpState.com.
He is the ninth member of South Carolina's 2015 recruiting class, which now features five composite 4-star commits.
Recruit information and ratings courtesy of 247Sports unless otherwise noted.
