If South Carolina fans needed a reason to show up in full force for the upcoming spring game, five-star prospect Xavier Thomas may have just provided one for them.

In the latest positive sign for the Gamecocks in the program’s pursuit of the elite lineman, Thomas is planning another trip to Columbia.

Originally from the Palmetto State, Thomas is playing his final season of high school football in Florida at IMG Academy. Despite leaving South Carolina to finish his high school career, Thomas has stated in the past he plans to return home for college and will attend school in either Columbia or Clemson. But before he makes his final decision in December, Thomas announced his plans to return home this spring to take in the South Carolina spring game.

https://twitter.com/atxlete/status/841642507549175808

If you don’t follow recruiting closely, the 6-foot-3, 269-pound defensive lineman rates as the nation’s top overall prospect in the current recruiting cycle, according to ESPN. While according to 247Sports, Thomas is rated as the nation’s No. 2 overall prospect.

Regardless of where exactly Thomas officially ranks when all is said and done, if the Gamecocks can persuade the elite prospect to turn his back on the defending national champions and join a rebuilding South Carolina program, it may prove to be Will Muschamp’s biggest recruiting coup yet. And that’s saying something, considering all the talented players the Gamecock coach has signed during his college coaching career.

So far, all signs point to the Gamecocks being a realistic option for Thomas, now all the school has to do is keep building momentum toward his eventual signing day.

Follow Michael Wayne Bratton / SEC Mike on Twitter.