South Carolina football OL Josiah Thompson withdraws from transfer portal, per reports

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COLUMBIA — South Carolina football offensive lineman Josiah Thompson has withdrawn his name from the transfer portal according multiple reports after originally announcing his departure via social media on Jan. 3.

Thompson, a five-star recruit out of high school, started the last two seasons at left tackle for South Carolina and coach Shane Beamer. He missed one game due to injury over the last two seasons.

As of Jan. 14, Thompson will return to the Gamecocks according to both On3 and 247Sports.

Thompson, 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds is from Dillon, South Carolina and was the No. 1 recruit from the state and the No. 3 offensive tackle in the 2024 recruiting cycle. He ranked No. 35 nationally according to the 247Sports Composite.

Beamer’s offensive line hasn’t been strong the last few seasons, but Thompson was a dependable bright spot who started as a true freshman in 2024.

Quarterback LaNorris Sellers was sacked 33 times Thompson’s freshman year and 42 times this past season.

In the middle of the 2025 season Beamer fired former offensive line coach Lonnie Teasley and in December, hired four new coaches including Randy Clements from TCU who will coach the unit. Clements was an assistant offensive line coach at TCU last year, where Beamer’s new offensive coordinator Kendal Briles coached in 2025.

Since the portal opened, Beamer has signed six new offensive lineman for the 2026 roster. With two more days to enter before it closes, nine linemen have announced they are leaving South Carolina.

Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky‪@bylulukesin.bsky.social‬

This article originally appeared on Greenville News: South Carolina football OL Josiah Thompson withdraws from transfer portal

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