"They've been a man of their word, stuck with me from the very beginning, despite me not playing this past season, that didn't affect how they recruited me," Steele said of his commitment. "I feel as though they made me a priority. The game atmosphere there is crazy. And just the relationships have with the coaches there is amazing, so why not?"

South Carolina football's 2021 recruiting class received a major boost Saturday afternoon with the commitment of Alexandria (Va.) Episcopal three-star linebacker Bryce Steele , who chose the Gamecocks over finalists North Carolina and Texas.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound outside linebacker was recruited to South Carolina by area recruiter Kyle Krantz, new linebackers coach Rod Wilson, and, as always, head coach Will Muschamp.

"The first thing that impressed me was they told me that they were ready to have me whenever I was ready to commit," Steele said. "That weighed in on me and my family. I just feel as if they have the best interests for me, they want nothing but the best for me. The relationships I have with the coaches there are amazing and I can just tell they're very personable people and coaches."

Steele, ranked the No. 26 outside linebacker in the 2021 class, accumulated a huge offer list with Duke, Kentucky, Michigan, Nebraska, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Penn State and Virginia Tech among the schools who offered him.

A medical issue that forced Steele to miss his entire junior season slowed Steele's recruiting momentum, but his three finalists stuck with him and continued to pursue him, with the Gamecocks ultimately winning out.

Though he currently goes to school in Alexandria, Va. and is ranked the No. 10 prospect in Virginia, Steele is a Raleigh-area native.

Steele last visited South Carolina for a spring practice, just before the sports world was shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Steele is the fifth commitment in the Gamecocks' 2021 class, joining four-star QB Colten Gauthier, three-stars DT Nick Barrett and WR Sam Reynolds, and JUCO CB Marcellas Dial, who hasn't yet been ranked by Rivals.com.