W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
How many more prospects can South Carolina sign?
It is a simple question with a somewhat complicated answer that we're going to try to simplifiy now that the first National Signing Day is complete and all of the letters of intent are in.
The simple answer is: eight.
The absolute most new prospects that South Carolina can sign is eight (without some really fuzzy math and acrobatics).
If that's all you care about, then you can stop reading right now. If you're a "show your work" kind of person or want to know the details and what it means, keep going...
As you probably know by now, a school gets to count 25 initial counters per class and this year, they'll also be able to replace seven outgoing transfers with initial counter spots. Carolina will hit that number seven of outgoing players easily and thus will be able to use the seven new spots. That means the potential addition of 32 new players as initial counters.
As of right now, the Gamecocks have 20 regular signees, plus two players from the last class who count forward to this one, plus two incoming transfers in Spencer Rattler and Austin Stogner for a total of 24 players currently counting towards the 2022 class.
That leaves eight more to get to that 32 number.
Spring Valley defensive back commit D.Q. Smith currently does not count towards that number and if he enrolls in the summer without signing - our current expectation - then he wouldn't count among the eight. If he signs in February, then he would count as one of those eight spots.
The math gets a little bit more complicated when you consider the overall 85 scholarship limit and the fact that schools didn't have to hit the 85 this past season but will have to next year.
That problem is further enhanced by the fact that rosters across the country are loaded with players that now have an extra year of eligibility added into what they would have had during a normal four- or five-year career.
Gamecock Central's Football Scholarship Breakdown is an excellent resource for tracking such things, and while South Carolina lists its official roster as if the COVID year did count against a player's eligibility, the GC Scholarship Breakdown provides a true look at how much eligibility is left for each player.
Once you remove the players who are out of eligiblity going into next year or have already entered the transfer portal, Carolina currently sits at 93 scholarships (including the 24 above plus Smith who does count towards the 85) for next season.
What does that mean? That means to not be surprised or alarmed when the Gamecocks have further attrition moving forward.
Keep in mind, that 93 number does include several players who were seniors this past season and only have a year of eligibility left because of COVID and have not yet announced their intentions for next season. Some of them will most certainly decide to move on. It also includes Kevin Harris, who has not yet officially announced his intentions either, but is expected to leave for the NFL Draft.
Those players leaving will certainly chip away at that number. But essentially, at least eight players will leave in the coming months in order to get the overall number down to 85. And for every additional prospect Carolina adds for 2022, you can count on another player leaving as well.
Point being, don't be alarmed, and it's not a sign of issues within the program when players continue to transfer out at the end of the season. It's a natural and expected part of the process.
It is a simple question with a somewhat complicated answer that we're going to try to simplifiy now that the first National Signing Day is complete and all of the letters of intent are in.
The simple answer is: eight.
The absolute most new prospects that South Carolina can sign is eight (without some really fuzzy math and acrobatics).
If that's all you care about, then you can stop reading right now. If you're a "show your work" kind of person or want to know the details and what it means, keep going...
As you probably know by now, a school gets to count 25 initial counters per class and this year, they'll also be able to replace seven outgoing transfers with initial counter spots. Carolina will hit that number seven of outgoing players easily and thus will be able to use the seven new spots. That means the potential addition of 32 new players as initial counters.
As of right now, the Gamecocks have 20 regular signees, plus two players from the last class who count forward to this one, plus two incoming transfers in Spencer Rattler and Austin Stogner for a total of 24 players currently counting towards the 2022 class.
That leaves eight more to get to that 32 number.
Spring Valley defensive back commit D.Q. Smith currently does not count towards that number and if he enrolls in the summer without signing - our current expectation - then he wouldn't count among the eight. If he signs in February, then he would count as one of those eight spots.
The math gets a little bit more complicated when you consider the overall 85 scholarship limit and the fact that schools didn't have to hit the 85 this past season but will have to next year.
That problem is further enhanced by the fact that rosters across the country are loaded with players that now have an extra year of eligibility added into what they would have had during a normal four- or five-year career.
Gamecock Central's Football Scholarship Breakdown is an excellent resource for tracking such things, and while South Carolina lists its official roster as if the COVID year did count against a player's eligibility, the GC Scholarship Breakdown provides a true look at how much eligibility is left for each player.
Once you remove the players who are out of eligiblity going into next year or have already entered the transfer portal, Carolina currently sits at 93 scholarships (including the 24 above plus Smith who does count towards the 85) for next season.
What does that mean? That means to not be surprised or alarmed when the Gamecocks have further attrition moving forward.
Keep in mind, that 93 number does include several players who were seniors this past season and only have a year of eligibility left because of COVID and have not yet announced their intentions for next season. Some of them will most certainly decide to move on. It also includes Kevin Harris, who has not yet officially announced his intentions either, but is expected to leave for the NFL Draft.
Those players leaving will certainly chip away at that number. But essentially, at least eight players will leave in the coming months in order to get the overall number down to 85. And for every additional prospect Carolina adds for 2022, you can count on another player leaving as well.
Point being, don't be alarmed, and it's not a sign of issues within the program when players continue to transfer out at the end of the season. It's a natural and expected part of the process.
