COLUMBIA, S.C. — Camden defensive lineman Xavier McLeod had his pick of schools but he made the call for Carolina back in August.
In spite of a push from other high-profile schools in the Southeast, McLeod never wavered in his commitment and he is officially part of Shane Beamer's third recruiting class at South Carolina.
Two Saturdays ago in Myrtle Beach, McLeod was named the winner of the Mr. Football award, the highest individual award for high school football. That honor capped off a huge high school career for McLeod who as a sophomore and junior helped Camden make it to the Class 3A state finals where only a high-powered Daniel team prevented the Bulldogs from winning one, if not two, state championships.
This past season, Camden made it to third round of the playoffs and McLeod saved his best games for the post-season. No doubt the Gamecocks coaches hope McLeod will be able to turn up the heat when the lights come on next fall.