South Carolina football flips 2023 tight end Reid Mikeska from Miami
COLUMBIA — South Carolina football picked up its first flipped commitment in the class of 2023 on Tuesday from three-star tight end Reid Mikeska, a former Miami commitment.
Mikeska originally committed to Miami in June from among 46 Division I offers, including South Carolina. His decision to flip to the Gamecocks came after he took an official visit to Columbia on Dec. 16. The Gamecocks also recently hired former Arkansas tight ends coach Dowell Loggains as offensive coordinator and have picked up two tight ends from the transfer portal since then.
GAMECOCKS RECRUITING:How two Black women helped build South Carolina football’s best recruiting class since 2012
TRANSFER PORTAL TRACKER:South Carolina football transfer portal tracker: Roster changes for bowl game, 2023 season
The 6-foot-5.5, 233-pound tight end hails from Cypress, Texas and the No. 45 tight end in the Class of 2023 per the 247Sports Composite rankings. During his senior season, Mikeska recorded 201 receiving yards and two touchdowns, averaging 9.6 yards per catch.
Mikeska is South Carolina’s second 2023 tight end commitment, joining three-star Connor Cox. The team also added Florida transfer Nick Elksnis and Arkansas transfer Trey Knox this week.
Tight end is a high-need position for South Carolina, which lost both starters Jaheim Bell and Austin Stogner in the transfer portal. Bell has committed to Florida State, and Stogner, who transfered from Oklahoma last year, reentered the portal to return to the Sooners for 2023. The team also lost tight end Traevon Kenion, who announced he was “stepping away from football” after the regular season ended.
South Carolina (8-4) is aiming to build momentum in recruiting off of back-to-back upsets of then-No. 5 Tennessee and then-No. 8 Clemson in the final two weeks of the regular season. The No. 19 Gamecocks will conclude the year in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida, against No. 21 Notre Dame (8-4) on Dec. 30 (3:30 p.m., ESPN).