South Carolina flips former Clemson, Miami tight end commit Reid Mikeska

Reid Mikeska is a Gamecock.

The three-star tight end from Texas had been verbally committed to Miami since June but walked back that pledge Tuesday night, flipping to coach Shane Beamer’s South Carolina football team to offer another depth piece at a position of need come 2023.

Mikeska, who’d also been verbally committed to Clemson earlier this cycle, ranks as 247Sports’ No. 45 tight end and No. 1,015 recruit nationally. He becomes the 20th high school commit and 25th overall commit (including transfers) in South Carolina’s recruiting class of 2023.

The Gamecocks’ 2023 class late Tuesday ranked 19th nationally and seventh in the SEC, a five-spot jump from the No. 24 national ranking they held in 2022.

Mikeska, listed at 6-foot-5.5 and 233 pounds, was a second-team all-district selection as a senior this fall at Bridgeland High School in Cypress, Texas. Over his last two seasons, he’s caught 45 passes for 430 yards and six touchdowns and 9.6 yards per catch (22 games).

Mikeska, whose primary recruiter was South Carolina tight ends coach Jody Wright, excelled as a blocker in high school and also spent time at H-back and wide receiver.

He’ll provide depth at a position that desperately needs it. Earlier this month, South Carolina saw tight ends Jaheim Bell and Austin Stogner transfer to Florida State and Oklahoma, respectively. Traevon Kenion also announced he was retiring from football. Nate Adkins, a key contributor down the stretch for USC (8-4), is out of eligibility after the bowl game.

South Carolina, at that point, was down its top four tight ends. Mikeska now joins high school recruits Connor Cox and Kamron Sandlin and transfer recruits Trey Knox (Arkansas) and Nick Elksnis (Florida) as incoming tight ends in USC’s class of 2023.

Mikeska had an interesting recruitment, as South Carolina is the third (and final) Power Five school he’s been committed to over the last eight months. Mikeska was committed to Clemson from April 13 to May 12 and committed to Miami from May 12 up until Wednesday.

Mikeska unofficially visited South Carolina in the spring ahead of his Clemson commitment. While committed to Miami, he also took a gameday visit for USC’s upset win over then-No.5 Tennessee. Mikeska most recently was in Columbia for a Dec. 16-18 official visit weekend.

South Carolina football 2023 commits

Includes high school or junior college commitments.

RB Dontavius Braswell, Washington County (Ga.) OL Trovon Baugh, Pace Academy (Ga.) OL Jatavius Shivers, Villa Rica (Ga.) OL Markee Anderson, Dorman WR CJ Adams, Pebblebrook (Ga.) WR Tyshawn Russell (Pa.) TE Connor Cox, The Bolles School (Fla.) TE Reid Mikeska, Cypress (Tx) TE Kamron Sandlin, Anniston (Ala.) S Judge Collier, Legion Collegiate, Rock Hill DL Xzavier McLeod, Camden

DL Zavion Hardy, Macon (Ga.)

DE Monteque Rhames, Manning (transferred from Sumter)

DE Desmond Umeozulu (Md.) LB Grayson Howard, Andrew Jackson (Fla.) S Jalon Kilgore, Putnam County (Ga.)

S Zahbari Sandy, St John’s, Washington (DC) S Cam Upshaw, Taylor County (Fla.) ATH Vicari Swain, Central (Ga.) ATH Kelton Henderson, Lehigh Acres (Fla.)