Gamecock fans had to know this type of news was coming following Will Muschamp’s firing.

Any time a program suffers a coaching change, commitments to that program are going to be questioned and prospects understandably have to reevaluate their options, regardless of which school is undergoing the change.

The reality of the situation is it’s tough for a prospect to commit to playing for a program that doesn’t have a leader and the next head coach may not even honor any of the current commitments held by South Carolina at this time.

Taking that into consideration, Rodarius Thomas just became the first South Carolina prospect to back off his pledge to the Gamecocks following Muschamp’s recent dismissal in Columbia.

Interestingly, the Eufaula High School standout from Eufaula, Ala., recently received a scholarship offer to play for Mississippi State.

“I want to thank the Gamecocks for supporting me these few months and especially for the opportunity to play at South Carolina. I would like to thank the coaches for recruiting me and believing in me. With that being said, I will be decommitting from the University of South Carolina,” Thomas posted online. “I have thought long and hard about my decision and I feel it is best for me to open my recruitment back up and continue on my journey playing the game I love.”

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Thomas is rated as a three-star prospect, the No. 134 overall receiver in the nation and the No. 37 overall prospect from Alabama in the 2021 recruiting cycle.