Gamecock Signee Xzavier McLeod Cracks Final SI99 Rankings

South Carolina defensive lineman signee Xzavier McLeod makes the final version of a prestigious recruiting list.

Multiple pundits consider South Carolina's haul of offensive and defensive linemen to be one of the best in the country for the 2023 recruiting cycle. A unique aspect of this haul is the number of players originally from the state of South Carolina; Markee Anderson, Monteque Rhames, Elijah Davis, and Xzavier McLeod.

In terms of who has the highest ceiling, there could be a strong argument for Camden High's Xzavier McLeod. From the looks of it, multiple recruiting services view McLeod in the same vein, including SI All-American, Sports Illustrated's recruiting department.

SI All-American's Director of Recruiting John Garcia Jr. released the final version of the SI99 rankings for the 2023 recruiting class on Wednesday afternoon, a ranking that looks at the 99 best high school football prospects in the country for that specific cycle. According to SI, Xzavier McLeod is the best prospect in South Carolina's class, as he finished as the 82nd-best prospect in the SI99 rankings.

John Garcia Jr. detailed what made Xzavier McLeod a highly sought-after prospect when he committed to the Gamecocks back in August of 2022:

"McLeod cracked the SI99 as a top-five interior defensive lineman because of his disruptive ability despite his immense size. Working outside and inside along the defensive line, he featured an elite first step and bent around the edge in pursuit of the quarterback. Versus the run, he was even more effective with his leverage-winning power and drove off of the snap."

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