College Sports

South Carolina offers speedy local receiver who’s committed to Appalachian State

Chapin Highs WR Zavier Short makes a touchdown reception against Clinton High.
Chapin Highs WR Zavier Short makes a touchdown reception against Clinton High.

South Carolina has shown interest in Zavier Short for several months. On Wednesday, the Gamecocks finally offered the Chapin High School senior receiver.

Short took an unofficial visit for USC’s game against Auburn. It was his first visit for a Gamecocks game this year. USC is recruiting him as a tight end. Short committed to Appalachian State over the summer.

USC coach Shane Beamer extended the offer during a visit to Chapin on Wednesday morning with offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield. The Gamecocks like Short as a tight end/H-back, similar to how they used Jaheim Bell this year.

South Carolina does not have a tight end commitment yet for the 2022 class.

“It means a lot. It’s always been a dream of mine and I have been working for it for a really long time,” Short told The State on Wednesday. “I am still committed to Appalachian State. Just going to see what is best for me.”

Short said he has no timetable for making a final decision but plans on signing with a school on Dec. 15, the first day for the early signing period for football.

The Gamecocks have had an eye on Short since the spring, and he attended a camp at USC over the summer. South Carolina tight ends coach Erik Kimrey has been handling Short’s recruiting and was at one of Chapin’s games during the fall recruiting period. Beamer and Satterfield also attended a Chapin practice a few weeks ago.

“(Kimrey) has just been telling me to keep doing what I am doing because he thinks some other coaches are starting to realize what he sees,” Short told The State earlier this month. “An offer from them would definitely open my eyes and I would heavily consider it just because it’s my hometown school and has always been a dream of mine.”

The 6-foot-1 Short has been committed to Appalachian State since June. 247Sports ranks Short as a three-star prospect and No. 16 in the state for the Class of 2022. He ran a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash at a camp at North Carolina State this summer.

Short is the all-time leading receiver at Chapin with 217 catches for 3,391 yards. This season, he led the Eagles this year with 67 catches for 1,038 yards, 14 touchdowns and also had TDs rushing, passing on on special teams.

Short also was selected to Touchstone Energy Cooperatives Bowl and Shrine Bowl. The Shrine Bowl won’t be played this year because of COVID.

This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 11:12 AM with the headline "South Carolina offers speedy local receiver who’s committed to Appalachian State."

Lou Bezjak
The State
Lou Bezjak is the High School Sports Prep Coordinator for The (Columbia) State and (Hilton Head) Island Packet. He previously worked at the Florence Morning News and had covered high school sports in South Carolina since 2002. Lou is a two-time South Carolina Sports Writer of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Support my work with a digital subscription
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