When the phone rang with a scholarship offer from the University of South Carolina, Damarcus Leach was still relatively unknown. By the time he hung up the phone, the rest of the state was already starting to figure out Leach was one of the top defensive backs in the class of 2025.
Leach’s ascension from the shadows to gridiron prominence came almost as quickly as that phone call. The offer from South Carolina was his first college offer – period. Virginia Tech has since joined the party with the junior phenom and many more offers are likely to flow in over the course of the next year.
Leach, more commonly referred to as “Nez” around town, initially burst onto the scene during the 2022 season as a key defensive piece on Abbeville’s state championship team.
“He was huge last year, he was very instrumental in our playoff run,” said Abbeville head coach Jamie Nickles. “That’s when he really blossomed and became a great a player.”
Since then, Leach has developed into an even better player, leading the Panthers to a strong 5-1 record, including two miraculous comebacks against Powdersville and Southside Christian earlier in the season. According to Coach Nickles, Leach’s leadership has been crucial.
“He’s a very likable guy and he’s always been one of the boys,” said Nickles. “But when it’s time to get to work, he rolls up his sleeves and goes to work.”
Growing up in Abbeville, Leach had the privilege of watching a dynasty unfold underneath the Friday night lights at Hite Stadium. To Leach, playing for the legendary Panthers is a dream come true.
“I’ve always wanted to represent the ‘A’ and walk those steps,” said Leach. “To be able to do it and accomplish what I’ve accomplished for Abbeville, it’s a dream come true.”
Leach doesn’t only make an impact on the defensive end, however. He also comes in at wide receiver and sometimes even slides into the backfield of the historic A-bone offense. In fact, it was Leach who scored the touchdown that set up Karson Norman’s two-point conversion to beat Southside Christian. According to Leach, running the A-bone in his youth has greatly contributed to his success.
“Running it my whole life, when I got to the high school level, I already had an understanding of the offense,” said Leach. “Every year, that understanding just gets deeper and deeper.”
Being only a junior, the sky is the limit and, for Leach, there’s only one ultimate goal.
“I just have to keep doing my best at everything I do. I don’t want to get too complacent,” said Leach. “We’ve got to tighten a couple of bolts and screws. But at the end of the day, I just want to win the state championship.”