Eight players took the stage at Newton High School on Wednesday for early signing day, but only one player had yet to announce his decision publicly.

Senior defensive lineman Christian Ingram was the last player to sign, and when he took the stage he announced that he would be continuing his football career at the University of South Carolina.

Following the signing, Ingram shared his thoughts about the signing and his decision.

“Today was just exciting — a little nerve racking but exciting,” Ingram said. “I knew I was locked in with the Gamecocks, I just love them as a team and as a whole. It was definitely an exciting day for me.”

Going into Wednesday, Ingram had narrowed down his top three schools to South Carolina, USC and Kentucky. 

However, the decision was made a few days prior, according to Ingram.

“Monday morning when I woke up,” Ingram said. “I thought about my whole visit to South Carolina. It just felt more genuine and coach [Shane] Beamer — me and him bonded. He was the only coach I talked to consistently. Coach T-Rob [Travian Robinson] is one of the most genuine guys I’ve ever met. I felt very comfortable with my decision to go there.”

The recruitment process really took off for Ingram during his senior season as Newton. During that time, he took many things into account when looking at colleges.

“What I prioritized were how I felt with the team, how I felt with the coaches and how the coaches felt with their players,” Ingram said. “How their season was going for them and how many guys have the coaches developed in my position in the defensive line to go to the NFL.”

In particular, Ingram's interactions with Robinson and discussions about how he will be used sealed the deal for the Rams’ senior.

“Coach T-Rob’s experience and he knows how to work with guys who used to play basketball before,” Ingram said. “With him just being with the coaches, they make so many different schemes with the defensive line to put them in spots to make plays.”

With the signing official, the next thing for Ingram will be preparing to take the trip to Columbia to join the Gamecocks.

Before that, Ingram shared just what kind of player Beamer and South Carolina will be getting.

“They will be getting a dominant physical player who works through every play,” Ingram said. “[A player] who has length, who’s tall, who’s fast, who’s physical and can do it all on the field and play all of the defensive line positions.”