South Carolina picked up a surprise public commitment today when Byrnes wideout Chavis Dawkins pledged to the Gamecocks.
Not surprisingly, once Bobby Bentley joined the staff USC turned up the heat on Dawkins in terms of keeping an eye strongly on him. NC State would have been the pick eventually I believe, but the Gamecocks extended a late offer quietly yesterday and had Dawkins as a done deal heading into this announcement.
Jeff Tyner covered a short announcement that Dawkins had in Moore, South Carolina just moments ago, so we'll have some follow-up content shortly.
The Shrine Bowl selection was a very productive player at Byrnes, tallying over 1,300 receiving yards on 73 catches and 17 touchdowns during his senior campaign. Not surprisingly, he’s a strong route runner who understands how to get open. The “knock” on him would be straight-line speed and athleticism, but he has good hands and just seems to make plays. That type of guy - a smart receiver even if he’s not an elite athlete – can be a good player in college. Dawkins caught six passes for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Shrine Bowl.
While they’re not similar in terms of size and skill set, I could see Dawkins being a Nick Jones type guy in Columbia: someone who may not make an instant impact but could end up being a valuable player and a reliable receiver.
Not surprisingly, once Bobby Bentley joined the staff USC turned up the heat on Dawkins in terms of keeping an eye strongly on him. NC State would have been the pick eventually I believe, but the Gamecocks extended a late offer quietly yesterday and had Dawkins as a done deal heading into this announcement.
Jeff Tyner covered a short announcement that Dawkins had in Moore, South Carolina just moments ago, so we'll have some follow-up content shortly.
The Shrine Bowl selection was a very productive player at Byrnes, tallying over 1,300 receiving yards on 73 catches and 17 touchdowns during his senior campaign. Not surprisingly, he’s a strong route runner who understands how to get open. The “knock” on him would be straight-line speed and athleticism, but he has good hands and just seems to make plays. That type of guy - a smart receiver even if he’s not an elite athlete – can be a good player in college. Dawkins caught six passes for 62 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the Shrine Bowl.
While they’re not similar in terms of size and skill set, I could see Dawkins being a Nick Jones type guy in Columbia: someone who may not make an instant impact but could end up being a valuable player and a reliable receiver.
