While it wasn’t pretty, South Carolina held on for a 20-15 victory at home over East Carolina this past weekend.

True freshman signal-caller Brandon McIlwain was solid — as he played the entire contest. The defense also stepped up when it was needed most.

As for those in attendance, one top 2018 prospect came away very impressed with the Gamecocks.

K.J. Henry is a 2018 5-star prospect out of North Carolina. At 6-foot-6, 217 pounds, the defensive end has elite athleticism off of the edge. If one were looking for a comparison, LSU DE Arden Key comes to mind.

Henry has virtually every big program in the country coming after him. He also has quite a while before needing to sign with a program.

However, USC appears to have made a very nice impression early in his recruitment process.