Gamecocks ‘look like the front-runners’ for this 2025 quarterback recruit

Since the South Carolina football team started recruiting Class of 2025 quarterback Ryan Montgomery, they’ve had a consistent message for him.

You’re our No. 1 guy.

Heading into what may be the stretch run of his recruitment, one national expert thinks that strategy is paying off in a big way for coach Shane Beamer.

As part of a larger story detailing what’s next for the 2025 quarterback recruiting class, 247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong wrote Monday that the Gamecocks “look like the front-runners” for Montgomery, a four-star recruit and the No. 14 QB in the class.

Wiltfong added in a post on X (formerly Twitter) last week that USC remains “positioned well” for Montgomery despite another SEC school, Georgia, pushing for the 6-foot-3, 215-pound quarterback out of Findlay High School in Ohio.

Montgomery, a rising senior, is set to visit USC on Jan. 20 and Georgia on Jan. 22 ahead of a tentatively planned February 2024 commitment. In an interview with 247Sports last month, he also said it’s “possible” Auburn, Florida and/or Michigan State get visits.

South Carolina has been recruiting Montgomery since last spring and formally offered him a scholarship in May 2023. He’s one of five 2025 quarterbacks with an offer from South Carolina, per 247Sports, and one of only two who haven’t already committed to another school.

And the only other uncommitted quarterback on that list, AJ Brand of nearby Irmo High School, is reportedly being targeted as a safety or wide receiver. That positions Montgomery as USC’s lone quarterback target for 2025 heading into the NCAA’s winter contact period.

In a story published Tuesday on Rivals.com, Montgomery said he was “really looking forward to seeing the whole staff again” on his visit to Columbia later this month. It’ll be his fourth time making it down to South Carolina from his hometown in northwest Ohio.

He ranks as the No. 9 player in Ohio, No. 14 quarterback in the class and No. 205 overall player in the 247Sports composite, which factors in multiple websites’ rankings.

“They are easily one of the schools I have the best relationship with,” Montgomery told Rivals of USC. “They have treated me as their number one guy ever since they’ve been on me. I’m looking forward to keep learning more about the offensive scheme and just enjoying myself down there.”

USC’s QB pursuit

Montgomery had an excellent junior season at Findlay, located about 40 miles south of Toledo. In 11 games, he completed 71% of his passes for 3,377 yards and 38 touchdowns. He also rushed for 257 yards and 10 touchdowns while breaking former NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s school record for single-game passing yards with 491.

As a junior, he was first-team all-conference, first-team all-district and a finalist for the Ohio Mr. Football Award, given to the top player in the state regardless of classification. Montgomery has over 7,500 passing yards and 104 total touchdowns (89 passing, 15 rushing) in three seasons as a starter for Findlay.

Montgomery — whose older brother, Luke, is an offensive lineman at Ohio State — reiterated last month to 247Sports that he wants to commit to a school in February, though he hasn’t settled on a specific date yet and plans to remain flexible ahead of his senior year.

“I’m eager to see what schools come visit (me) this January and then I’ll take January visits and just see how the college football world shakes out these next two months,” he told the website.

South Carolina, like most programs, generally takes one scholarship quarterback per recruiting class. USC signed four-star 2024 quarterback Dante Reno during last month’s early signing day and has an early commitment from four-star 2026 quarterback Landon Duckworth.

Reno and redshirt freshman LaNorris Sellers are currently the only two scholarship quarterbacks on South Carolina’s roster after starter Spencer Rattler left for the NFL Draft and two backups transferred.

That’s led the Gamecocks to aggressively pursue a number of transfer portal quarterbacks to add depth and competition to the room, though they’ve yet to land one.