Three former South Carolina tight ends and a former running back have announced their new college destinations.
Connor Cox, Nick Elksnis, and Reid Mikeska revealed their commitments on Wednesday, while on Thursday, running back Djay Braswell shared his decision to transfer to Georgia State.
Cox, a 6-foot-6, 242-pound tight end, is heading to North Carolina to play for legendary head coach Bill Belichick, who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles. Cox had a brief career at South Carolina, recording one catch for nine yards and a touchdown during the Gamecocks’ home win against Akron this season. He appeared in five games as a freshman last year.
Elksnis is moving out west to play for UNLV and new head coach Dan Mullen, who previously coached at Florida and Mississippi State in the Southeastern Conference. Elksnis joined the Gamecocks in 2023 after spending two seasons with Florida but did not record any statistics during his 15 appearances with South Carolina.
Mikeska is transferring to Florida Atlantic, where he will play under new head coach Zach Kittley, the youngest head coach in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 33 years old. Mikeska, a 6-foot-5, 265-pound redshirt freshman from Texas, did not register any statistics at South Carolina due to being part of a crowded tight end group behind Joshua Simon, Brady Hunt, Michael Smith, and Maurice Brown. He was a three-star recruit in 2023, originally committed to Clemson and Miami before choosing the Gamecocks.
Braswell, a former four-star prospect from Georgia, is returning to his home state to play for Georgia State after two seasons at South Carolina. After enrolling in the summer of 2023, Braswell contributed as a true freshman. However, with the addition of four new running backs — freshman Matthew Fuller and transfers Rocket Sanders (Arkansas), Oscar Adaway III (North Texas), and Jawarn Howell (SC State) — Braswell’s role diminished, and he did not record any statistics in 2024. Despite a few opportunities late in the 2023 season due to injuries in the running back room, Braswell carried the ball 12 times for 25 yards in three of the final four games.
These four players are among the 14 Gamecocks who have announced their transfers. South Carolina has also brought in five new players from the transfer portal.
