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#PortalWatch: Former South Carolina Running Back Lavonte Valentine Announces Transfer to USF Football

The two-sport star from Melbourne is coming back to the Sunshine State.

By Nick Simon
Central Florida v South Florida Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images

Just hours into day one of his tenure as head coach, Jeff Scott picked up his first transfer from his former archrival program as South Carolina running back Lavonte Valentine announced his intention to transfer to USF football.

Attending Melbourne Central Catholic in high school, Valentine excelled as a two-sport prep athlete in both football and track and field. He had a mega year as a junior, running for 884 yards and 14 touchdowns as a speedy all-purpose back on the gridiron in the fall before winning the FHSAA Class 4A 100-meter title in the spring.

An ACL tear, however, derailed his senior season and kept him sidelined as an early enrollee at South Carolina in the spring of 2018. He ultimately redshirted as a true freshman on the gridiron but was able to participate in both the indoor and outdoor track and field seasons for the Gamecocks.

He officially entered the transfer portal back in August and enrolled at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville.