South Carolina added its third commitment of the 2014 class Tuesday night when three-star TE Kalan Ritchie (Goose Creek/Goose Creek) gave his pledge to the Gamecocks.

Three-star TE Kalan Ritchie is the third commitment to the Gamecocks' 2014 class.

The 6-foot-6, 226-pound Ritchie chose South Carolina over offers from Clemson, N.C. State, Virginia Tech and UConn.

"It's really exciting once you do it," Ritchie said. "You kind of feel like a chill going through your body -- not really a chill but it's just that really good feeling. When you know you made a good decision, it's like no regrets to it. I have no regrets over what decision I just made."

Ritchie was recruited to South Carolina by wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Steve Spurrier Jr. He says he has a strong relationship with the coach and that's who he called to make his commitment this evening.

"He's an energetic guy, so it was a pretty fired up conversation," Ritchie said. "He was just real excited. I asked him a couple of questions making sure I had a chance to play and things like that and he was just reassuring me that I have an opportunity to play at the next level and South Carolina is where it's at."

In the end, distance and comfort level won out.

"It's close to home," Ritchie said. "It's a place where I felt at home and just being able to see yourself playing at that school."

Ritchie, who has a large frame but is primarily a run-blocker at Goose Creek, says the Gamecocks talked to him about the abundance of two-tight end sets South Carolina runs.

"We talked about it a couple of times," he says. "They told me that I'm not going to be strictly a run-blocking tight end, I'm going to be a receiving tight end also. I wouldn't say I'm where I want to be. I just want to keep improving on everything. I know for a fact that I'll get better in the passing game, receiving the ball, things like that."

Ritchie also likes the idea of teaming up with another top in-state tight end in four-star prospect Kevin Crosby (Bamberg/Bamberg-Ehrhardt), who the Gamecocks are also recruiting.

"It would be a good idea," Ritchie said. "Me and him have talked a bunch of times. I told him that it wouldn't be a bad idea playing with him and I'd really enjoy it. He's a great player and I'm a good player, so it would be a great thing playing with him."

Four-star linebacker Bryson Allen-Williams (Ellenwood, Ga./Cedar Grove) and three-star LB/FB Joe Blue (Dillon/Dillon) are already members of the Gamecocks 2014 class.

South Carolina landed OT Brandon Shell out of Goose Creek in 2011 and DE Gerald Turner in the 2013 class.

Ritchie is ranked the No. 14 tight end in the country and No. 15 prospect in South Carolina by 247Sports. In the industry-generated 247Composite, which equally weighs prospect rankings and ratings from major recruiting media outlets, Ritchie is ranked the No. 9 tight end, No. 286 overall prospect and the No. 11 prospect in South Carolina.

Ritchie carries an 88 rating from 247Sports making him a three-star prospect and an .8976 rating in the 247Composite making him a four-star prospect.

Insider Notes: Kalan Ritchie