Eastside’s Jaquavious Dodd commits to South Carolina

It’s all happened quickly for Eastside’s Jaquavious Dodd.

Dodd, who didn’t begin playing football until three years ago, remembers when the switch flipped for him.

“I think it was last year’s game against Travelers Rest,” he said. “That game, I think I had six sacks. I knew at that point I could really do something.”

Dodd turned his game to the next level toward the end of his junior season with the Eagles. This offseason, the rising senior received a whopping 19 college offers, several from some of the most prominent Power Five schools in the country.

In May, the University of South Carolina offered Dodd. He committed to the Gamecocks last week.

“When I told [South Carolina head coach Shane] Beamer, he was jumping up and down,” said Dodd, smiling. “He was like, ‘Are you ready?’”

Dodd said he fell in love with the campus and hospitality from the first time he visited.

“The coaching staff, they made me feel so welcomed when I came up to campus,” said Dodd. “It’s a dream. I’m ready to represent. I dreamed about this, but I didn’t know it was actually going to come to life.”

When Dodd called the South Carolina coaching staff and announced his commitment via social media, he said, he was “holding back tears.” The emotions poured over as he thought back on everything it had taken to get to this point.

“I came from sleeping on the floor, sleeping on the dirty carpet every night,” said Dodd. “I moved in with my godmom about three years ago, because they had a place for me, a bed for me to sleep in.”

Dodd paused to collect his thoughts.

“But my mom, she’s still there. She’s still struggling,” he said. “I want to get her back up. I’m going to try and grind and get my mom a house as soon as possible, get my whole family back together again.”

Dodd looks toward the sky, sweat falling from his brow as he takes a breather during one of Eastside’s summer practice sessions. He stands at a massive 6-foot-6, 230 pounds. In between plays, Dodd’s doing one of two things: barking out orders and assignments…or breaking into a few dance moves.

Eastside head coach Andre Woolcock is all for both.

“One of the ways I’ve really seen ‘Quay’ grow the most is in his maturity,” said Woolcock. “He’s still able to be goofy and be himself, but he knows how to lock in when he needs to.”

“I feel like I’ve tried to become more of a mature, focused player this year,” said Dodd. “But I still like to have fun.”

It’s Dodd’s last year as an Eagle, and he knows there will be plenty of focus on him as a Gamecock commit. Adding to the attention, Eastside moves to Class 5-A this season, jammed in a region with some of the best—Gaffney, Dorman, Byrnes, and others.

Eastside football will be getting lots of eyes on the program this year. Dodd and company couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity.

“We’re working that much harder in practice,” said Dodd. “I’m excited to get prepared for the next level, but I also want to help put this program on the map.”