South Carolina earns transfer pledge from coveted ACC tackle
By David Wasson
Published:
The South Carolina Gamecocks picked up a coveted offensive tackle out of the transfer portal Thursday night, as former NC State standout Jacarrius Peak reportedly is on the move to Columbia.
On3Sports reported that Peak chose South Carolina over overtures from Alabama, Ole Miss, and Texas A&M. Peak spent 4 seasons in Raleigh and has one year of eligibility remaining.
The 6-foot-4, 298-pound Peak was considered the top tackle prospect in the transfer portal, which opened Jan. 2. A Valdosta, Ga., native, Peak started 32 straight games for NC State – emerging as the top right tackle midway through the 2023 campaign and cementing a starting spot for all of 2024 before moving to left tackle for 2025.
In his career at NC State, Peak allowed 42 total quarterback pressures — 30 hurries, 5 hits, and 7 total sacks — over 1,218 pass-blocking snaps and earned ACC honorable mention honors in 2025.
Peak’s addition is a critical one for South Carolina, which will see its offense run by new coordinator Kendal Briles in 2026. Briles takes over in Columbia for Mike Shula, who was fired by coach Shane Beamer on Nov. 2 as the Gamecocks ranked last in the SEC in both points (19.7) and yards per game (294.1) at the time.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
