Gamecocks 2025 TE Target Makes Recruiting Decision

Four-star tight end Mikkel Skinner makes his college decision.

Riverside wide receiver Mikkel Skinner on the field at the Landrum High School on Aug 9, 2024. / ALEX HICKS JR./SPARTANBURG HERALD-JOURNAL / USA TODAY NETWORK

2025 South Carolina Gamecocks TE target, Mikkel Skinner, announced his commitment on Wednesday night in front of his peers.

Skinner, former Cincinnati Bearcat commit, released a final four of Ohio State, Georgia, South Carolina, and Kentucky prior to tonight's decision. As he looked at all the schools in front of him, Skinner chose to commit to the Kentucky Wildcats.

While there is still time to flip the talented tight end, this is a miss of a special talent right in South Carolina's own backyard as Riverside High School is just under two hours away from Columbia. The Gamecocks will likely try to flip Skinner before it's all said and done or pivot to another player. Three-star prospect Preston Douglas is the only tight end committed to the Gamecocks 2025 class.

Here's what 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivin had to say about Skinner:

New-age F tight end prospect who can line up in the slot, in the backfield, or out wide and stretch the field with his second gear. Clocked one of the fastest verified 40-yard dash times for any prospect north of 220 pounds in the 2025 cycle spring before senior season and owns a promising multi-sport background for the position. Displays the ability to change speeds as a route runner and has flashed a larger catch radius. Evasive with the ball in his hands and can shed his fair share of tackles, which likely stems from time spent at running back as an underclassman. Hasn’t been utilized much as an attached blocker at the prep level, but fights to open up run lanes out on the perimeter and has delivered some blows on kick coverage, which suggests that he’s got the mental makeup to eventually handle some in-line work. Overall, should be viewed as a potential offensive chess piece at the Power Four level that can create plenty of issues for opposing linebackers and safeties with his rare athleticism.

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