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Nyckoles Harbor, 5-star football recruit and track star, commits to South Carolina

One of the two remaining uncommitted five-star recruits in the class of 2023 has made his decision.

Nyckoles Harbor, an incredibly athletic 6-foot-5, 225-pound prospect from Washington, D.C., announced Wednesday that he will sign with South Carolina.

Harbor, who also excels in track and field, chose the Gamecocks over Maryland, Michigan and Oregon. Harbor took his final official visit to Oregon over the weekend, but still ended up choosing to play for Shane Beamer at South Carolina.

Harbor, the No. 29 overall prospect in his class, is listed as a tight end by Rivals but also could project as an edge rusher once he gets to Columbia. Rivals ranks Harbor as the No. 2 tight end in the country. The No. 1 tight end is Duce Robinson, the only other uncommitted five-star recruit in the 2023 class.

Harbor, who will also join the track and field team at South Carolina, is regarded as one of the most athletic football recruits in recent memory, particularly with his Olympic-level speed. And because of those track aspirations, Harbor has said he prefers to stay at tight end so he doesn't have to add on the weight needed to play defensive line.

From Rivals.com’s Adam Friedman:

Harbor is about as rare an athlete you'll find in the history of the Rivals250. At 6-foot-5 and nearly 230-pounds, the five-star has speed virtually unmatched by anybody his size. He brings possible Olympic-level speed to the field. Harbor clocked in the top 200m (20.76) and 300m (33.90) indoor times and has the second best time in the 60m (6.64). He also has the third best 100m (10.22) and seventh fastest 200m (20.95) in outdoor track.

Harbor still needs some polishing as a tight end, but his traits make him incredibly difficult to defend in one-on-one coverage.

“Harbor may not run the most crisp routes but his burst and long strides help him create a lot of separation from defenders, giving quarterbacks easy windows to throw the ball into. Simply put, Harbor is virtually unguardable in man coverage,” Friedman wrote. “In addition to his 6-foot-5 frame, Harbor also has extremely long arms and is able to go up and win jump balls consistently. He has the size to outmaneuver any defensive back that tries to match up with him and the speed to run away from pretty much anybody on the field, let alone any linebacker that tries to guard him.”

Harbor is the highest-rated recruit in South Carolina’s 2023 class, which is now ranked No. 17 overall with 23 prospects already signed in the early signing period.

Beamer and his staff have prioritized the DMV (DC, Maryland and Virginia) in its recruiting efforts, and that paid off in a big way as many of the top players in this class are from that part of the country. In addition to Harbor, South Carolina also landed four-star defensive end Desmond Umeozulu (No. 153 overall), four-star offensive tackle Tosin Babalade and three-star safety Zahbari Sandy.

In two seasons under Beamer, South Carolina has a combined 15-11 record with a 7-9 mark in SEC play. Last season, the Gamecocks finished 8-5 overall with a 4-4 record in conference including wins over Kentucky, Tennessee and Clemson.