The mission was to add talent along the defensive front and the Gamecocks did that and more finishing up the 2015 recruiting cycle.

South Carolina welcomed 30 players to the fold on National Signing Day, including quarterback Lorenzo Nunez who is looking to play early along with four-star tackle Christian Pellage, a player assistant coaches worked hard to keep down the stretch.

Assistant coach and lead recruiter G.A. Mangus had fun during what’s a stressful day for most on his Twitter account, introducing Gamecock Nation to each new player with comical photos as letters-of-intent.

The Gamecocks upgraded a pass rush that finished at the bottom of the SEC in sacks last season with top JUCO defensive end Marquavius Lewis, fellow JUCO edge-sealer Dante Sawyer and four-star in-state end Shameik Blackshear. In all, South Carolina signed seven defensive linemen, each capable of competing for early playing time this fall.

“We needed some defensive ends,” Spurrier said during ESPNU’s Signing Day coverage from Columbia, S.C. “Hopefully we’ve got some on the way. We feel like we’ve got some help on the ends. Some inside guys too. We’ll have them coming from everywhere.”

Spurrier also praised Nunez, a four-star passer from Kennesaw, Ga. who can move on the run and has gone on the record to say he expects to battle Connor Mitch and Perry Orth for first-team reps when he arrives in June.

South Carolina survived nine decommitments in this year’s class to likely finish with a consensus Top 20 haul nationally, currently ranked 19th according to 247Sports’ team composite as of 3 p.m. EST. Late addition Rashad Fenton, a three-star cornerback from Miami, was the Gamecocks’ last remaining target and made his decision official before noon, signing with South Carolina over finalists Florida and Louisville.

South Carolina’s 2015 class

  • Marquavius Lewis, DE, JUCO
  • Lorenzo Nunez, QB, Kennesaw, Ga.
  • Ulric Jones, DL, JUCO
  • Toure Boyd, S, JUCO
  • Zack Bailey, OL, Summerville, S.C.
  • DJ Neal, WR, Atlanta
  • Antoine Wilder, DB, Atlanta
  • Dexter Wideman, DE, JUCO
  • Dante Sawyer, DE, JUCO
  • Octavis Johnson, DB, Homerville, Ga.
  • Rashad Fenton, DB, Miami
  • Sherrod Pittman, LB, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Quandeski Whitlow, DE, Opelika, Ala.
  • Devante Covington, DE, JUCO
  • Mo Denson, RB, LaGrange, Ga.
  • AJ Turner, RB, Clifton, Va.
  • Kyle Markway, TE, St. Louis, Mo.
  • Daniel Fennell, DB, Loganville, Ga.
  • Jalen Christian, ATH, Damascus, Md.
  • Christian Pellage, OL, Brooksville, Fla.
  • Cory Helms, OL, Wake Forest transfer
  • Christian Owens, WR, Griffin, Ga.
  • Jalen Henry, LB, Foley, Ala.
  • Ernest Hawkins, LB, JUCO
  • Jerad Washington, WR, Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Joseph Charlton, K, Columbia, S.C.
  • Shameik Blackshear, DE, Bluffton, S.C.
  • Connor Redmond, TE, Decatur, Ga.
  • Trey Derouen, OL, Lilburn, Ga.
  • Blake Camper, OL, Virginia Beach, Va.