Gamecocks QB recruit flips commitment to Coastal Carolina. Here’s why
After committing to South Carolina football earlier this month, a USC quarterback recruit is headed to another in-state school.
Class of 2027 QB recruit Luke Gaither has flipped his commitment from the Gamecocks to Coastal Carolina, he announced via social media Monday.
Gaither’s primary reasoning? Coastal Carolina offered him a full scholarship. He was previously committed to South Carolina and Shane Beamer as a walk-on.
“After much prayer, I’ve decided to pursue my lifelong dream of being a full-scholarship D1 QB,” Gaither wrote in a post on X.
In his post, Gaither also thanked Beamer and South Carolina offensive coordinator Kendal Briles for “giving me the opportunity to be a P4 QB in the SEC.”
South Carolina, like most programs, generally only recruits one scholarship quarterback per high school class. USC currently holds a commitment from three-star Texas quarterback Jerry Meyer III in the Class of 2027.
Gaither (6-4, 175) plays at Liberty Christian Academy in Lynchburg, Virginia and is unranked by most major recruiting services He committed to the Gamecocks on June 5 after impressing the staff at a prospect camp and earning a walk-on offer.
Gaither has 15 Division I offers and is “truly a P4 QB,” his quarterback trainer, Baylin Trujillo, wrote on X. “But after a great (official visit), he decided to flip to Coastal to accomplish a childhood dream of being a full-scholarship QB at the D1 level.”
Coastal Carolina, based in Conway, competes in the Sun Belt Conference and is one of three FBS football teams in the state of South Carolina (USC, Clemson). The Chanticleers are entering their first season under new coach Ryan Beard.
This story was originally published June 23, 2026 at 9:49 AM with the headline "Gamecocks QB recruit flips commitment to Coastal Carolina. Here’s why."
