Gamecock commitment Josiah Thompson named South Carolina’s Mr. Football for 2023

For the second straight year, a future South Carolina Gamecock won one of the state’s top football awards.

Dillon offensive tackle Josiah Thompson was named the 2023 S.C. Mr. Football on Saturday. The award was announced during halftime of the Touchstone Energy Cooperatives all-star game.

Thompson is the first Dillon player to win the award, which was first presented to the state’s top senior football player for his performance on and off the field in 1995. Dillon has a long history of producing college football players, but none have been more sought after than Thompson.

Thompson also is just the second offensive lineman be honored, with Daniel’s Kyle Young claiming the award in 1996. Young’s son, Watson, was a finalist for this year’s award.

“It means a lot and it’s an honor to be one of the few who have won Mr. Football,” Thompson said. “As well as being the second offensive lineman to win the award, maybe start something great for offensive lineman in the future. I’m very grateful to win this award.”

Both 247Sports and On3 have the 6-foot-6, 275-pound Thompson rated as a five-star prospect. He is ranked as the No. 8 prospect in the country for the Class of 2024 by On3.

“He’s such a skilled big guy and I’ve been by coaches of all these major ACC and SEC schools that they think he is the best tackle in the country,” Dillon coach Kelvin Roller said. “We are just very, very proud of him.

“He just is a terrific kid that exemplifies what you want in a student athlete. He is extremely humble and grateful for every opportunity he has gotten over the last several years. We are extremely proud of him and we know he is going to be successful.”

This season, Thompson graded out 94% with six pancake blocks per game. He was named the Class 2A Lower State Offensive Lineman of the Year earlier this week and won WPDE-TV’s Zoneman award, which recognizes the top player in the Pee Dee and Grand Strand regions.

Thompson committed to USC in March, and had his in-home visit with the Gamecocks coaches earlier this week. He is the 12th future USC player to win the honor and fourth in the last six years.

Thompson will get a chance to get to know some of his future USC offensive linemen teammates in the coming weeks. He and Greenville’s Blake Franks will be teammates in next week’s Shrine Bowl. Thompson and Woodland’s Kam Pringle will be playing in the Under Armour game in early January. The three lineman were nicknamed by USC fans as the “Great Wall Of Carolina.”

“It will be the first time me and Blake will be playing side-by-side together so I will get to know how he plays,” Thompson said. “That will be something I am looking forward to.

“... I have known (Pringle) since my freshman year and met him at a (recruiting analyst) Tom Lemming photo shoot. We have seen each other grow both on and off the field.”

After the Under Armour game, Thompson will enroll at USC for winter classes.

Thompson was one of five finalists for the award. Hampton County’s Zion Dobson, Hillcrest’s Avery McFadden, Northwestern’s Turbo Richard and Daniel’s Watson Young were also finalists.

S.C. Mr. Football recipients

Year, Name, Position, School, College

1995 — Jermale Kelley, WR, Berea, South Carolina

1996 — Kyle Young, OL, Daniel, Clemson

1997 — Chris Hope, DB, Rock Hill, Florida State

1998 — Derek Watson, RB, Palmetto, South Carolina

1999 — Mark Logan, QB, Greenwood, Georgia Tech

2000 — Roscoe Crosby, WR, Union, Clemson

2001 — Moe Thompson, DE, Stratford, South Carolina

2002 — Eric McCollom, QB, Camden, Iowa

2003 — Trey Elder, QB, Byrnes, Appalachian State

2004 — J.D. Melton, QB, Myrtle Beach, Navy

2005 — Prince Miller, DB, Byrnes, Georgia

2006 — Malcolm Long, QB, Gaffney, South Carolina State

2007 — Richard Mounce, QB, Blythewood, Charleston Southern

2008 — Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Pointe, South Carolina

2009 — Marcus Lattimore, RB, Byrnes, South Carolina

2010 — Jadeveon Clowney, DE, South Pointe, South Carolina

2011 —Shaq Roland, WR, Lexington, South Carolina

2012 —Tramel Terry, WR, Goose Creek, Georgia

2013 —Jacob Park, QB, Stratford, Georgia

2014 — Matthew Colburn, RB, Dutch Fork, Wake Forest

2015 — Tavien Feaster, RB, Spartanburg, Clemson

2016 — Gage Moloney, QB, Northwestern, James Madison

2017 — Dakereon Joyner, QB, Fort Dorchester, South Carolina

2018 — Zacch Pickens, DE, T.L. Hanna, South Carolina

2019 — Luke Doty, QB, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

2020 — Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, DT, Gaffney, Georgia

2021 — Jaylen Sneed, LB, Hilton Head Island, Notre Dame

2022 — Xzavier McLeod, DL, Camden, South Carolina

2023 — Josiah Thomson, OL, Dillon, South Carolina