Chanticleers Make History In A Big Way

Conway, SC. - Bryce Underwood remains the crown jewel of Coastal Carolina football, the highest-rated player ever to wear Teal. But with Kade Vaughn’s machine now churning at full speed, Underwood might not hold that distinction for long—because the Chanticleers just landed their first-ever 5-star prep recruit.
And he’s a big one.
Jamal Stephen, a 6’7”, 247-pound athletic marvel from Covington, Georgia, announced he is committing to Coastal Carolina over heavyweights Alabama and Auburn. The decision instantly sent shockwaves through the recruiting world and marked another milestone in the Chanticleers’ rapid ascent.
“You look at what Coach Vaughn has done and there’s no doubt he’s about to run this business for a long time,” Stephen said during his announcement. “I can’t wait to be one of those building blocks—the kind of piece you look back on and say, ‘that’s where the machine started.’”
Stephen is already drawing lofty comparisons to former Florida Gator star Kyle Pitts, but some scouts think his blend of size, speed, and hands could push him even higher. “It’s a lofty comp, sure,” one evaluator noted, “but Stephen’s skill set fits perfectly in Vaughn’s system. Coastal isn’t shy about featuring the tight end in creative ways, and this kid has the tools to thrive right away.”
And as fate would have it, the Chanticleers may have also secured Stephen’s quarterback of the future. Just hours after Coastal’s statement win in Seattle, Fredrick Meredith—a dual-threat from North Carolina—announced his commitment. Meredith, the nation’s 15th-ranked quarterback and No. 274 overall prospect, brings exactly the kind of athletic profile Vaughn covets under center.
“He’s raw, no question,” one scout admitted. “The accuracy needs work. But he’s got a live arm, elite mobility, and the upside to grow into a real problem in Vaughn’s scheme.”
With Stephen, Meredith, and early signee Lee Omameh already on board, Coastal now holds three verbal commitments for the 2030 class, with as many as five more decisions expected in the coming weeks. For a program that once struggled to even get in the room with top-tier recruits, the pipeline of talent now choosing The Teal speaks volumes about how far Vaughn has taken the program—and how much higher they might still climb.
-2029-Recruiting-Rankings
| Ranking | Position | Name | Hometown | Tendency | NAT/STA/POS | Stage | Coastal Rank |
 | T | Antonio Tripucka | Huntginton, WV | Pass Pro | 4/1/1 | Top 5 | 1st |
 | ATH | Jamal Stephen | Covington, GA | Pure Possession | 7/1/1 | Committed | 1st |
 | WR | Tyler Hagg | Los Lunas, NM | Route Artist | 19/1/2 | Top 3 | 1st |
 | ATH | Sean Maggio | Lehigh Acres, FL | Contested Specialist | 20/4/3 | Battle vs Miami | 1st |
 | LB | Carl Urbik | Flowood, MS | Thumper | 52/1/8 | Top 5 | 1st |
 | SS | Ross Gossett | Bellevue, NE | Box Specialist | 55/1/1 | Top 3 | 1st |
 | T | Devin Trinidad | Provo, UT | Agile | 63/4/4 | Top 5 | 1st |
 | WR | Brayden Sharpe | Rock Hill, SC | Gadget | 79/3/13 | Top 8 | 1st |
 | DT | Alphonso Pineda | Conway, SC | Gap Specialist | 119/4/8 | Top 3 | 2nd |
 | T | Lee Omameh | Littleton, CO | Pass Pro | 127/2/8 | Committed | 1st |
 | FS | Oscar Creech | Greenville, SC | Hybrid | 154/5/4 | Top 3 | 2nd |
 | FS | Trevor Iverson | Honea Path, SC | Hybrid | 146/6/5 | Top 5 | 1st |
 | CB | Akeem Owusu | Loganville, GA | Bump and Run | 169/13/18 | Top 3 | 2nd |
 | CB | Hugh Boselli | Lithonia, GA | Field | 179/15/19 | Top 8 | 4th |
 | DE | Emmett O'Dowd | Greensboro, NC | Speed Rusher | 197/5/14 | Top 3 | 1st |
 | QB | Fredrick Meredith | Shelby, NC | Dual Threat | 274/6/15 | Committed | 1st |
 | G | Ty Sahara | Johnston, SC | Agile | 304/11/20 | Top 8 | 1st |
 | CB | John Landman | Orange City, FL | Field | 309/30/33 | Top 5 | 1st |
 | HB | Justice Spear | Rock Hill, SC | Backfield Threat | 312/12/33 | Top 5 | 1st |
 | WR | Tavares Tinker | Columbia, SC | Speedster | 374/13/65 | Top 5 | 1st |
 | ATH | Spencer Vick | Columbia, SC | Vertical Threat | 23/1/3 | Committed | Clemson |
 | LB | Nathan Byard | Alpharetta, GA | Signal Caller | 51/7/7 | Top 3 | N/A |
 | QB | Gordon Wood | New Orleans, LA | Dual Threat | 80/1/5 | Top 8 | N/A |
 | DE | Grant Detmer | Draper, UT | Power Rusher | 92/6/9 | Top 5 | N/A |
 | CB | Bret Mount | Mechanicsville, VA | Bump and Run | 120/5/14 | Committed | North Carolina |
 | HB | Dexter Peppers | Daphne, AL | North/South Blocker | 126/5/14 | Committed | Auburn |
 | CB | Stephen Chubb | Macomb, MI | Field | 135/3/15 | Top 8 | N/A |
 | G | JJ Mundy | Bailey, NC | Raw Strength | 165/3/13 | Committed | Tennessee |
-2029-Recruiting-Rankings-
| Ranking | Rank | Position | Name | Hometown | Tendency | Top 3 | Stage |
 | 1 | CB | Ezekiel Kelly | New Lenox, IL | Bump and Run | Mich/LVille/Wisc | Top 8 |
 | 2 | CB | Bret Frank | Argyle, TX | Bump and Run | OU/TCU/SMU | Top 8 |
 | 3 | CB | Walter Wooten | Port Saint Lucie, FL | Bump and Run | Georgia | Committed |
 | 4 | T | Antonio Tripucka | Huntington, WV | Pass Pro | CC/Tenn/WVU | Top 5 |
 | 5 | DE | Hakeem Idonije | Clearwater, FL | Power Rusher | FSU/UGA/UF | Open |
 | 6 | CB | Deontay Kane | Pearland, TX | Zone | UGA/TAMU/LSU | Top 3 |
 | 7 | ATH | Jamal Stephen | Covington, GA | Pure Possession | Coastal Carolina | Committed |
 | 8 | DE | Nathan Copper | Cleveland, OH | Edge Setter | ND/PSU/IND | Top 8 |
 | 9 | QB | Matt Reynaud | Tulsa, OK | Pocket Passer | Oklahoma | Committed |
 | 10 | MLB | Anthony Atogwe | Orem, UT | Signal Caller | NCSt/Maryland/OSU | Open |
 | 11 | FS | Cortney Hall | Indianapolis, IN | Coverage Specialist | LVille/IND/NCSt | Top 5 |
 | 12 | T | Dean Willis | Philadelphia, PA | Well Rounded | PSU/ND/TAMU | Top 8 |
 | 13 | CB | Denton McGarigle | Deland, FL | Zone | MIA/Clem/UGA | Top 8 |
 | 14 | ATH | AJ Rudolph | Duncanville, TX | Pure Possession | Alabama | Committed |
 | 15 | QB | Montrell Osgood | Jefferson, GA | Pocket Passer | Georgia | Committed |