Damarcus Leach

Introduction: Damarcus Leach, the cornerstone of Abbeville High’s football dynasty, is a 6-foot-3, 185-pound phenom who turned small town fields into his personal playground. Leach’s high school career at Abbeville is a testament to his versatility, and knack for making big plays when it matters most. As a two-way player, he primarily lined up at safety but also stepped in at quarterback when his team needed him most his junior/senior year. Which was instrumental in leading Abbeville to a 13-1 record and a state championship in 2024, capping off a remarkable high school career. In the title game, Leach delivered a dominant performance in all aspects of the game. He posted just under 200 yards of offense, scored two rushing touchdowns, threw for another, converted a 2-point attempt, and even intercepted a pass on defense, which he returned 81 yards to set up yet another Abbeville touchdown. He was then named to the South Carolina Football Coaches Association all-class all-state team and selected to play in the prestigious Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas. On the hardwood, he dominated as a junior, pulling down 11.6 rebounds and swatting 2.1 blocks per game, his wingspan and bounce making the paint his domain. His track and field background further highlights his versatility, with personal bests of 5’10” in the high jump, 40’1. This multi-sport pedigree combined with his size and skill set has helped mold Leach into a well-rounded athlete with the tools to excel at the next level.

Recruiting: His recruiting tale began in the summer of June 2023, when the Abbeville High standout rolled into South Carolina’s football camp with no offers. A multi-sport athlete from a small-town powerhouse, he hadn’t yet hit the national radar, but that day changed everything. Under the eye of Shane Beamer’s staff, Leach flashed his blend of length, speed, and raw athleticism, more than enough to catch the eye of former Gamecock defensive back Jaylan Foster, now a support staffer. Foster pulled him aside mid session, ushering him to defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. By day’s end, South Carolina extended his first scholarship offer, a camp-earned prize that lit the fuse on his recruiting rise. Other programs such as a Virginia Tech, Duke, and eventually Michigan entered the mix for his services. January 2024 marked a pivotal step. Leach and his parents hit Columbia for USC’s Junior Day, his lone recruiting visit that winter. It was a family affair his mom soaked up every detail should could from the nutrition to the classroom and left more than impressed with what she saw. “She needed to know, and she got to know,” Leach said with a grin on his face. Gray’s pursuit was personal and persistent facetime calls every other week, checking on Leach’s family, his training, his life the consistency made all the difference. It wan’y hard to sell Leach on Columbia as he had deep roots connected to the program. “I’ve always been a Gamecock fan growing up,” he said. “My grandma’s a fan, my uncle played there—it’s in the family.” Suddenly on April 9 with no planned announcment, he woke up with clarity and committed to his future home. “I was going to wait, but I had a feeling today’s the day,” he told reporters. No campus visit that day, no ceremony just a phone call to Gray, who was floored. He went public on April 10 via X, locking in as USC’s third 2025 commit and first on the defensive side of the ball.

Strengths and Skills: His long arms and high-cut build give him a reach that can smother passing lanes and tangle with receivers at the line, a physical profile tailor-made to match up against the SEC’s towering wideouts. Clocked at 21 mph by the Catapult GPS system, his speed adds a dynamic layer quick enough to recover, fast enough to chase down plays sideline-to-sideline. That size-speed combo is why Torrian Gray, his position coach, pegged him for a first look at cornerback, a shift from his Abbeville safety roots. His tape reveals a knack for disrupting passes, using his wingspan to tip balls or pluck them from the air, paired with a downhill burst that flattened receivers daring to cross his path. At the 2023 Shrine Bowl, he stood out in the defensive back seven, his good feet and fluid hips shining in drills against top talent. “He feels I can play anywhere back there,” Leach said of Gray’s vision.In run support, he’d shed blockers with leverage and a low pad level, then crash into gaps with an aggression that punished the opposition. The SEC loves receiver screens and perimeter runs, and Leach’s willingness to mix it up, shedding blocks, crashing downhill could neutralize those plays early. He will need to refine his footwork and press technique, sharpening his backpedal and hand placement to stay with the SEC’s twitchy receivers and disrupt their releases at the line. With time and Torrian Gray’s coaching Lach has the potential to go from a small-school standout into a cornerstone of South Carolina’s secondary.