When it comes to recruiting at the SEC, however, one thing is certain: no commitment feels secure for very long. Rivals are constantly circling, and when a border-state talent is involved, the stakes rise even higher. For a while, it appeared as if South Carolina and Shane Beamer had achieved yet another win in the recruiting battlegrounds. But today, the Gamecocks’ highly sought-after lineman target chose to abruptly flip the entire plot.

In a recent IG post by Hayes Fawcett blew up the internet that said, “BREAKING: Four-Star OT Kamari Blair has Flipped his Commitment from South Carolina to Tennessee, he tells me for @rivals.ig The 6’6 285 OT from Clarksville, TN had been Committed to the Gamecocks since July.” Kamari Blair kept his message simple, calling himself “blessed” as he made the jump. Before this, he had praised South Carolina following his official visit, saying, “I loved it. The players. The coaches. Nobody was BS-ing me… they were just honest, that’s what I liked about it.” That made the flip all the more shocking and even more satisfying for Tennessee fans.

It was exactly the kind of breaking news that Tennessee fans had hoped for. Josh Heupel acquires another pillar in the trenches from Blair, the seventh-best player in the state and the 22nd-ranked offensive tackle in the country. With a height of 6’6″ and raw SEC-ready size, he joins a class of 2026 that already includes elite players like Gabriel Osenda, Joel Wyatt, Zay Anderson, and others, showing that he is quickly snatching up Tennessee prospects before they slip away. However, even as the Vols celebrate over this massive acquisition, rumors are already turning the focus to South Carolina, where Beamer may be drafting a bigger name to fill the void.

South Carolina fans were still recovering from Blair’s flip when a new plot began to develop. Five-star interior offensive lineman Darius Gray may end up with the Gamecocks, according to a recent prediction made by recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong. The Richmond, Virginia native is ranked as the nation’s second-best interior offensive lineman, the second-best player in his state, and the 30th-ranked player overall in the 2026 class. If Blair’s exit felt like a gut punch, bringing in Gray might change everything and possibly give Beamer his biggest recruiting victory to date.

Fans react to Kamari Blair’s departure with bold predictions

As soon as the flip was announced, the talk quickly shifted to Darius Gray, the five-star player whose decision is on the way. For many fans, the move was a clear indication of what was to come. Blair’s action was taken by many as an indication that Gray had already committed. One fan wrote, “Not a SC fan but that def seems to me that Gray is confirmed now then,” while another simply cheered, “Welcome home Darius Gray.” 

Others put it more bluntly, pointing to the direct competition for Blair’s position. “Got scared by Gray, good luck, Tennessee,” joked one fan, while another added, “Couldn’t compete with Darius Gray sadly.” The tone was consistent: “Darius Gray is a lock then,” and “that must mean Darius Gray is a Gamecock.” In their eyes, Blair’s exit wasn’t about Tennessee at all; it was about Gray stepping in.

Of course, not everyone agreed with that perspective. Some fans reminded each other that nothing is official yet. “Y’all keep saying he’s scared of getting beat out by Darius?? For one, Gray hasn’t picked a school until tomorrow & it’s funny because he VERY WELL may choose TN,” one comment argued. But even then, with a bit of hesitation, the overall belief stayed strong: “It’s because the number one player at that position is about to commit to the Gamecocks tomorrow.”