W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
** South Carolina has its quarterback for the 2022 class in Middletown (Del.) four-star Braden Davis and I don't think you can underestimate how big it could be for the program to land a big name at that position during this staff's first recruiting cycle.
Landing Davis is not only big for what he brings to the program himself, but it gives the staff a centerpiece to build the offensive class around and he's the type of kid who has the personality to help recruit others to join him. We've talked quite a bit about the need to have a difference-making receiver class and it's hard to do that until receiver prospects know there's a guy coming in with them who can get them the ball. This helps alleviate that and helps with the perception of the program as well.
At 6-foot-5, 195-pounds, Davis has a tall frame with plenty of room to keep adding muscle. That's helpful both in terms of being able to better withstand the wear and tear that comes with being a quarterback who is capable of running while also continuing to build arm strength. He's really one of those kids when you look at his continued development as both a passer and runner (4.63 laser 40 and 4.13 shuttle), that is only scratching the surface of what he could be capable of as he continues to grow as a player. The upside is definitely there and I think you'd rather take a guy like that than someone who is already as good as they'll ever be. Any time you take a high upside player, it's up to the staff and the kid to keep working to try and hit that ceiling but the first step is to have a guy who has it.
Off the field, all the intangibles are there. By all indications, he's a leader, hard worker and communicator who also is focused on his nutrition and all the little details that can help a player reach his potential. He fits the room from that standpoint in that Carolina already has a QB group of workers who get along and push each other.
** As some of you may have already seen (article here), I caught up with Fort Mill (S.C.) Catawba Ridge class of 2024 QB Jadyn Davis at the Rivals Atlanta Camp a couple of weekends ago and several have asked if the Gamecocks have a shot here.
Davis may only be a rising sophomore but go ahead and lock that name in your brain as one to know in this state. Davis already has offers from Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina, Oregon and Penn State, and completely looked the part of future national-level recruit with his performance in Atlanta. Davis has the chance to be one of the most highly recruited quarterbacks this state has seen in some time. The class of 2024 doesn't have any ratings yet, but you're talking about someone who will almost surely be at least a four-star prospect and will have a chance to continue to show what he can do at the Rivals Underclassman Challenge this summer. Put simply: Davis is the complete package, a mature-beyond-his-age, pass-first quarterback who throws a great ball and can make all the throws but also has the legs to make it happen with his feet.
Where do the Gamecocks stand right now? I'd say there's good news and bad news from a South Carolina perspective.
The bad is that, while he obviously is an "instate recruit," Davis actually transferred in from North Carolina (Providence Day) and actually spent his youth football days in Georgia, so he's not a true in-state prospect in terms of growing up in the state. The offer list is already quite impressive, so the competition here will be tough and Davis, with it already clear that he's a national-level player, seems very intrigued by those traditional powers with plans to visit Alabama, UGA, Clemson and Ohio State this summer. I could see the Buckeyes being the next big school to offer. Summarized: this is gonna be a big boy recruiting battle.
The good news: South Carolina's new staff has jumped in early and made it clear to Davis that he's a priority prospect.
While I'm not sure yet if Davis will actually "camp" in Columbia, I'm told that he will visit the program at some point this summer and start to get a feel for the new staff and what the program is all about. He was excited to land the offer from Carolina earlier this year and likes what he's heard from Shane Beamer and Marcus Satterfield so far. As is going to be the case with a lot of big-time prospects, who Carolina is battling blue bloods to land, I suspect Davis and his family will be paying close attention to both the overall improvements from the team this season and of course the offensive scheme that Satterfield is able to put together on the field.
There's obviously a long, long way to go here but the next step is for that visit his summer to happen and to go well and for the staff to start to show their vision for the future to Davis.
** Continuing with some quarterback notes, Snellville (Ga.) Brookwood class of 2023 four-star quarterback Dylan Lonergan should be a familiar name as he's long held a South Carolina offer, first landing a scholarship from the previous staff before the new staff also re-offered.
Ranked the No. 32 overall prospect in his class and the No. 4 overall quarterback, Lonergan is already one of the most highly recruited players in his class and is also a highly recruited baseball player (pitcher) who could have the opportunity to play both sports or go the MLB Draft direction out of high school.
Lonergan has mentioned South Carolina as one of several schools recruiting him the hardest and he'll be in Columbia for camp on June 3, the first of the Gamecocks' 10 one-day camps in June. That's a huge opportunity for the Gamecocks with Lonergan who is also being targeted by the Carolina baseball program.
It will be part of a busy first week or so when he'll camp at Clemson (June 2), Alabama, Ohio State and others. Alabama and Clemson appear to be two programs to watch but quarterback recruiting can be a bit like musical chairs in that most schools only take one per class and once that spot is taken it's taken, so it will be interesting to see where Lonergan is on the boards of those programs and how much the baseball factor plays into his recruitment. If you follow the visits, the Gamecocks are definitely in this one and have prioritized him.
** The only in-state 2023 quarterback with an offer from South Carolina is Fort Mill (S.C.) Nation Ford quarterback Carson Black who also holds offers from Virginia Tech, Louisville and Old Dominion.
Black, like Davis, isn't a true in-stater as he transferred over the North Carolina border from nearby Sun Valley High, but was still thrilled to land an offer from the Gamecocks in March.
Black is set to get his first real look at the program when he visits in June, either the first or second week of the month. Black wants to get the full visit experience and see the campus at some point but also said he'd likely camp too to get a feel for how Marcus Satterfield coaches. He likes Satterfield so far and is looking forward to growing that relationship.
Black plans to visit all the schools that have offered plus any others who invite him to camp to throw for offers, which Wake Forest and Duke already have done so. North Carolina is a school to watch here. They haven't offered yet, but again he's from the state, was at their spring game, and considers Tar Heel QB Sam Howell a friend and mentor as Howell graduated from Sun Valley, Black's old school.
** Another quarterback I'm extremely intrigued to watch throw this summer is Chapin (S.C.) class of 2024 QB Jayden Bradford, who y'all have heard me talk up on here before.
Bradford doesn't quite have the hype yet that some of the other in-state throwers do, but I was extremely impressed with him at one of Perry Orth's camps and am expecting the attention to roll in if he has the summer camp season that I'm expecting.
Bradford throws a beautiful ball with an effortless release but can also run it when he needs to.
------------
Today’s Carolina Confidential is brought to you by Herring Insurance Services. Call, email, or PM Gamecock Central member Brent Herring today to discuss your home and auto insurance needs.
Located in Lexington but serving all of the Carolinas
803-356-0763
Brent@BrentHerring.com
@BHerring06
Last edited by a moderator:
