This just started happening to me yesterday. I remember back some time ago, you could indicate if you wanted to remain logged in after leaving the site, but now I can't find that option.

** South Carolina is set to host the first Carolina Cookout - that's what it's officially being called - of the Shane Beamer era on Saturday as the Gamecock staff will welcome many of its top targets onto campus for one final recruiting event of the summer.

I've been gathering info on what the event will consist of and as we've previously mentioned it's going to be much more of a laid back outing than your typical recruiting day.

That's not to say there won't be any recruiting elements. There will be golf cart tours of campus as well as an optional scavenger hunt, photoshoot and facilities tour available for the prospects who want them.

The return of a scavenger hunt option is a great addition in my opinion as I always thought when South Carolina did them in the past that it was a great way to build relationships and camaraderie, while also helping a prospect get comfortable with the campus, without it being just another campus tour.

Prospects will then be able to spend the afternoon hanging at the pool with games such as basketball, volleyball, ping pong, corn hole and wiffle ball available.

Prospects will be provided several lunch options via a "food truck court" that will feature several local food trucks - a growing market in and around Columbia - similarly to the one that South Carolina's current players were treated to this spring in the video below.

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** South Carolina hosted Camden (S.C.) class of 2024 ATH Cortez Lane on an unofficial visit on Wednesday and I think that will prove to be a prudent decision for the Gamecocks to get in on him early.

The early buzz out of Camden is that Lane is has a chance to be one of the top prospects in the state for his class. The Gamecocks haven't officially offered yet but they're showing early love and are a bit ahead of the curve here compared to other schools.

As Lane mentioned in his story with us, he was actually singled out by South Carolina assistant Pat DiMarco who noticed him during the Gamecocks' 7-on-7 event and was impressed.

Lane, the younger brother of record-breaking Camden back Willis Lane, could play running back or receiver, but right now he's being recruited by Justin Stepp to play receiver. Some think he's on pace to be even better than his brother, who never really got the recruiting traction many thought he should have but was easily one of the better players in the state the last couple of seasons.

** Speaking of buzz out of Camden, the more I hear, the more I like South Carolina's chances with class of 2023 defensive tackle Xzavier McLeod, who is set to visit for the cookout on Saturday.

South Carolina has been a clear early favorite for McLeod in that they got in on him first and were the first to offer, but it was always going to be worth tracking what would happen as other schools got involved.

Other schools have certainly gotten involved as he has offers from Auburn, Georgia, FSU, Kentucky and Louisville with interest from Clemson, but my info still points to South Carolina holding strong here.

A big reason for that is the early effort of Jimmy Lindsey in prioritizing McLeod and recruiting him harder than any other program at this point. Hat tip to the previous staff for being the first to offer, but Lindsey has picked right up and made sure McLeod knows how much he's wanted. That's not just recruiting speak either, he's a top-of-the-board type target for the Gamecocks in that class.

** While most of the South Carolina commits who are visiting for the cookout will be there to just hangout and get to know each other - while maybe doing a little recruiting of their own - this trip will be special for wide receiver commit Landon Samson.

Despite his pledge to the Gamecocks, Samson has actually never been to South Carolina, so this will offer his first opportunity to see the program and meet the coaches and players in person.

While Samson will participate at the cookout on Saturday, he and his family will arrive in town the day before and will have sort of a modified, more in-depth unofficial visit that will mirror some of the usual aspects of an official visit since this is his first time in Columbia and they're making the trip from Texas on their own dime.

** The early recruitment of Dillon (S.C.) class of 2024 OL Josiah Thompson couldn't be going much better for South Carolina. We pegged Carolina as the early favorite when it offered based on a number of factors and now his two unofficial visits to the program - one for a tour and one for the OL/DL camp - have gone as planned if not even a bit better. Thompson's parents were both in town for the OL/DL camp trip and received personal attention from Shane Beamer, something that went a long way with them. There's no indication of when Thompson will be ready to decide, but we like the Gamecocks chances here early. He'll be in on Saturday too.

** There's a true big boy recruiting battle brewing for Dorchester (S.C.) Woodland class of 2024 OL Kam Pringle. It's been a busy summer for Pringle who has visited places like South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, FSU and Clemson with the Tigers the only one of that group not to offer yet.

Mark it down as a positive sign that the Gamecocks are getting him on campus for the cookout as he'll be one of the most wanted prospects in the country by the time he commits by my estimation.

One source believes the Gamecocks are the early favorite here and have put themselves in a solid position. But I'm also taken back to when Pringle told me early on that Florida was a childhood favorite and given how much of a priority he's going to be for a lot of programs, it's probably too early to make any predictions here. Still, you'd rather be where South Carolina is with him currently than chasing another school and Pringle seems to be poised to give Carolina every chance to show it's the best place for him.

CAROLINA COOKOUT GUEST LIST

OL Markee Anderson (2023)

DL Hevin Brown-Shuler (2024)

DB Asaad Brown (2024)

OL Ryan Brubaker

DB Jayden Coleman (2024)

QB Braden Davis

LB Nick Emmanwori

DB Emory Floyd

LB Troy Ford Jr. (2023)

DB Cayden Jones (2024)

DL Zavion Hardy (2023)

OL Cason Henry

DL Felix Hixon

LB Grayson Howard (2023)

OL Grayson Mains

DL D'Andre Martin

DL Xzavier Mcleod (2023)

EDGE James Pearce

OL Kam Pringle (2024)

EDGE Monteque Rhames II (2023)

WR Landon Samson

OL Josiah Thompson (2024)

EDGE Donovan Westmoreland

WR Antonio Williams

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1981 we had moved to orlando from columbia the prior year....sort of lost contact in those days
in looking at this....johnny wright & kent hagood....with two backs like that? what happened? Login to view embedded media

And that's where we get the term jump the shark. Am I the only one here that did not know this? Don't remember that episode

all monies Texas and OU receive from the SEC would go to the Big XII. That's how it works in the Big Ten. I'd say it looks like Texas and OU would have to pony up around $150 million each. Now if the Big XII totally implodes that's different.

Says he believes down the road there will be a 60-team conference with its’ own commissioner. I’m sure we’ll be one of the 60 so could be ok. I prefer 60 as opposed to 25-40. Would really hurt the smaller programs that get left out. Will be interested to see where the Vanderbilts, Dukes, and other schools fall in this…is it just a Football Conference or will it be for all sports? When you look at the Top 60 programs…there are some fan bases that will be devastated by this.

It has been a great first week of the Olympics for Gamecocks. Having games tip at 4:40 in the morning hasn’t made for a great coverage schedule, so we’re going to recap the week with bullet points:

- Allisha Gray became the second Gamecock basketball player to win an Olympic gold medal (Shannon Johnson won in 2004). The 3x3 tournament became a fan favorite, and Gray was very impressive. She couldn’t stop smiling after winning gold, saying it even outranked winning the national championship at South Carolina.

“Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate my national championship, but winning a gold medal, that’s on a different level of accomplishments and happiness,” she said. “It’s something not everybody gets to do, especially a gold medal. It’s been a fun experience and I’ve enjoyed all of it.”

Gold Medal Lish, as she is now called, already knows what she is doing with the gold medal.

“Keep it around my neck. I’m wearing this gold medal everywhere!”

- Gray was able to reconnect with with Dawn Staley and A’ja Wilson in Tokyo, and Wilson shared what she told Gray before the gold medal game..

“She did text me and say ‘I’m just so nervous,’” Wilson said. “I was like ‘Girl, you’re built for this, you’re made for this.’”

Gray showed the medal to Wilson and Staley after the win. Unfortunately, she won’t get to stay and cheer on the 5x5 team because Gray returns to the US today. Wilson said she is “overwhelmed with joy” because the players on the 3x3, which includes best friend Gray and Aces teammates Kelsey Plum and Jackie Young, aren’t appreciated for how good they really are.

“I can’t put into words how happy I am for them,” she said. “There are a lot of players on that team that don’t get the credit they need, then they come here and they are Olympians and gold medal winners.”

- As impressive as the 33 team was, the 5x5 team has underwhelmed in its two games. The Americans never quite put Nigeria away, and they struggled significantly on defense against Japan. That game had a little bit of a Princeton-UCLA feel, with crisp execution from the smaller, quicker Japanese team able to make up for the talent gap. Before the Olympics there was controversy over the team selection, and through two games it has only grown louder.

Enter the young lady from Hopkins, SC. Wilson has been outstanding and arguably rescued the USA in both games. She has two double-doubles and led the team in scoring both times. Not bad considering Wilson said she was “really nervous” before the first game against Nigeria, and called her parents to help calm herself down. She also thanked her teammates for making things easier. Breanna Stewart talked about the team effort in getting Wilson going.

“We’re trying to do our best to make A’ja comfortable and put her in the best positions to succeed,” Stewart said. “At the same time she’s coming in and she’s making hustle plays, she’s rebounding, she’s doing the little things that don’t always show up on the stat sheet. I think for her to have that confidence is super important.”

- If it’s possible for the reigning WNBA MVP to be underappreciated, I think Wilson was. I don’t remember anyone outside South Carolina talking about her before the Olympics. Wilson has repeatedly said that, as an Olympic rookie, she is just trying to fit in and not overstep her role. You got the feeling after the three exhibitions that Wilson’s role was going to be a big one, but through two games in Tokyo she is the Team USA MVP. With Wilson, Stewart, and Brittney Griner, the American’s strength is certainly the frontline (“We're just a big-ass team,” Wilson said). Stewart has embraced more of a facilitator role, setting up the other two, and Wilson has run with the opportunity.

“I just try to look at is as, I don’t want to say a just normal basketball game, but I really do,” Wilson said. “I just try to take it all in stride, possession by possession and understand this is something we’re all really good at and we can still have fun with it. Yes we’re at the Olympics and yes this is big and yes we’re playing with the whole country on our back, but at the end of the day it’s a game that I love and a game that I’ve been playing for a while and I’m just going to take what the defense gives me and go from there.”

It’s working.

- Canada split its first two games, and Laeticia Amihere has played limited minutes. That isn’t really a surprise: she’s the second youngest player on a veteran team. She’s averaging two points and three rebounds in 12.0 minutes, but has struggled to get her shot to fall.

I retired last year and it looks like I will be required to pay estimated income tax this year due to no earned income tax withholding. This is new to me and find very little helpful info on-line about it. My understanding is that if I have a tax liability of $1,000 or more federal tax at the end of the year, then I am subject to penalties. To avoid penalties, I am supposed to pay 90% of my taxes in quarterly payments.
The question is, how do I do this? About 1/3 of my income will be coming from investments, but I have no idea what kind of money my investments will bring in. The past few years, things have gone well, but who knows when the "crash" might occur. I could make 40K or I could lose 20K. How can I predict 90% of a number that I don't know? Also, does the state (SC) have the same estimated tax requirement?
Does anyone know a good place to get basic tax information for retirees? This is not something that was ever discussed in the few pre-retirement seminars I have attended.
Any information would be helpful - Thanks

vote for as many as you wish

If you missed it, make sure to check out Thursday's edition of Carolina Confidential with more notes on the Carolina Cookout.

TEAM NOTES FROM THE MEDIA GOLF TOURNAMENT

South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer resurrected the media golf tournament on Thursday for the first time since Steve Spurrier was roaming the sidelines at Williams-Brice Stadium.

On a side note, it's worth pointing out that Beamer understands the role of the media and how working with the media and giving opportunities like yesterday, not only creates chances for your program to be promoted but also helps those media members better do their jobs.

Creating those relationships and working with the media - rather than building a wall around your program - helps to create that bridge between the football team and the fan base. And who knows, maybe it makes people - media members and fans - a little less quick to criticize when there's a more personal layer involved.

Spurrier was good with the media - probably the best - in terms of creating soundbites and saying funny things. But I'm not sure I've been around a coach who better understands the media in terms of using it to the advantage of his program than Beamer.

With that said, Thursday's golf tournament - which was held at the beautiful Woodcreek Club - provided speaking opportunities for several South Carolina coaches. Personally, I stayed glued to the words of offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and defensive coordinator Clayton White as we're still trying to get a feel for what exactly their respective schemes will look like this fall.

** 107.5 The Game's Heath Cline had an excellent question for Satterfield when he asked the Gamecocks' playcaller what fans should search for on YouTube if they wanted to get a feel for what his offense will look like this fall.

Satterfield clearly appreciated the creativeness of the question and said you'd have to watch LSU in 2019 (Joe Brady), dual-threat QB PJ Walker and the Temple offense in 2015, plus a little bit from the Panthers last year and a little bit from Oklahoma as well.

"You'd just have to dibble and dabble with all of it," Satterfield said. "But we're gonna do some good stuff."

Me personally, I'm reading a bit into the fact that he mentioned the LSU offense first as I've heard the scheme as a whole has a Joe Brady feel to it. Add in the dual-threat touches from Walker to take advantage of Luke Doty's legs plus a sprinkle from the Panthers and a sprinkle from Oklahoma and you have the Gamecocks offense.

Now get to watching YouTube videos (after you finish reading this piece).

** It comes as no surprise that Satterfield said Luke Doty is the No. 1 quarterback entering preseason camp.

Beamer said the same at the end of the spring and Doty has done nothing to relinquish the job.

Satterfield of course added that every position has a competition - "if that tripod can win us games, it's going to be the quarterback" - while heaping lots of praise on Doty.

You all already know about Doty's leadership and poise and athleticism - we told you about those from the second he arrived on campus - but Satterfield continues to also highlight his throwing motion as he did in the spring.

Doty and Satterfield have been focusing on tweaking some of his lower body mechanics, but he has a very natural throwing motion according to Satterfield: "it's beautiful."

Satterfield also emphasized that he's a young QB and there will be times that the offense will look great and times that it will struggle but he also went well beyond the usual required coachspeak in his assessment of Doty: "I think he has the chance to be an upper-echelon player at quarterback in the SEC."

** Interesting nugget from Satterfield who said they produce "like cutups" as in "you look like NFL player x" for the players to watch film of NFL players successfully competing at the highest level.

That's not just a QB thing. For example, there may be a couple of NFL running backs with a skillset similar to MarShawn Lloyd's and the staff will cut up some of the plays that show their best attributes for the players to watch.

Doty has been watching clips of quarterbacks Drew Brees and Ryan Tannehill. Brees because, well, he's Drew Brees. And Tannehill because he successfully played both wide receiver and quarterback in college just like Doty.

** Moving back to the scheme for a moment, Satterfield seemed borderline agitated about the mere thought of running an offense that featured more short passing than vertical throws.

Beamer talked all spring about the need for more explosive plays and Satterfield said a huge emphasis in the player-run-practices this summer is to push the football down the field with very little work on the short game ("We're making them throw the ball down the field").

While I fully understand some of the reasons that South Carolina's passing game was what it was last season, Satterfield firmly believes that the Gamecocks will have to involve the vertical passing game to be successful on offense and it sounds like it will be a staple of what they do.

"I'm not dinking and dunking; I'm not doing that. We're pro-style, not west coast. West coast offense is predicated on 5-8-yard routes, catching and running, just getting completions. We have to find a way to throw the ball beyond 12 yards. You talk about how do we get teams to back up off us? You have to push the ball down the field. You can't just be 30 plays of 5-yard passes and quick game."

Satterfield also added that everyone knows what is said about the wide receiving corps but that he believes they're better than people give them credit for and fully capable of doing the things he's going to ask of them in this offense.

** Shooting over to the defensive side of the ball, Clayton White threw some love at transfer EDGE rusher Jordan Strachan, enough so that it caught my attention.

I think Strachan has been a bit forgotten by some since he missed a lot of the spring but White is clearly high on his ability.

"When he got here, he got injured during the spring but he has done a tremendous job," White said. "He is going to be a major surprise for everyone in this conference this year. Excited to watch him and JJ (Enagbare) and (Jordan) Burch and (Aaron) Sterling. We should have a plethora of guys to rush the quarterback and that's exciting as a defensive coordinator."

** Speaking of those guys, I was talking to a source over the summer who pointed out one of the things that makes Enagbare special is the number of pass-rush moves he has in his toolkit. Sure, he's an excellent athlete - checks all the size, speed, strength boxes, etc. - but the thing that sets him apart is he has "moves on top of moves."

That can be especially daunting from the standpoint of having to block him throughout a full game and not knowing what move you're going to get on any given play. Enagbare also has an impressive motor and knack for doing whatever it takes to get to the QB. I expect a huge year from him.

** Back to White, he was asked about the areas of most confidence and most concern going into the preseason. He said his confidence lies in the fact that he believes his guys are ready - they've studied the playbook hard and know the defense and are ready to hit it full speed in practice.

In the concern category, White hinted at something we've already talked about and that's the requirement for this team to stay healthy if they're going to have a good year. As White phrased it, they need to stay healthy and fresh if they're going to be able to keep the depth they do have on that side of the ball.

He also pointed out the number of underclassmen that they'll use in the defensive backfield and how it's going to be important to get them all ready to play the way they're expected.

RECRUITING NOTES

** Despite the heavy smoke pointing to Lakeland (Fla.) Lake Gibson four-star RB Jaylon Glover likely choosing Florida on Aug. 6, South Carolina will see that recruitment through to the end.

Glover has remained in contact with South Carolina this week, so this isn't a case of a prospect cutting off the other schools and being a virtual lock to one program. But again, all signs do point to the Gators at this point.

What will the Gamecocks do next? That's TBD. While there's a pool of prospects that South Carolina is recruiting at the position, it's not yet been determined which guy or two will move to the top of the board if Glover does choose the Gators as expected.

South Carolina will continue to evaluate that position moving forward and in-person evaluations are (as of now) scheduled to be allowed again for high school games this fall, so I would expect Carolina to use that opportunity to eval some guys in person to shape the board moving forward.

** Looking ahead to the class of 2023 running backs, lock in the name of Stafford (Va.) Mountain View's Ike Daniels as he's emerged as one of the top targets at the position for the class.

The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder camped with South Carolina this summer and had an outstanding day after also posting impressive film from last season.

Daniels is scheduled to be back on campus Saturday for the Carolina Cookout and I believe he's someone Montario Hardesty can make a move with if the visit goes well.

South Carolina, Arizona State, Boston College, Penn State, Pitt, Virginia, Virginia Tech and West Virginia have already offered.

If you missed it, make sure to check out Thursday's edition of Carolina Confidential with more notes on the Carolina Cookout.
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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

Any prognostications about the movement of advertising money toward NIL and away from other recipients? Who gets shortchanged? Less money to pro players vice college? I’m guessing there will be little impact since there is so much money in advertising budgets. Ideas?

The other is how it will affect the lives of the young sports figures.

My wife turned me on to Greta Van Fleet. They are great! If you like Plant, Page, John Paul Jones type stuff? Take a listen

Had many drinks there late night when I was at Carolina. To hell with Dick Harpootlian and all his NIMBY supporters for trying to outlaw kids having a normal college experience.

Chris and Wes,
Loved the show today. Here is hoping that you all put together a dedicated show with sec stay at on receiving corps productivity like you suggested.

Seems Jon Rahm just dropped out of the Olympics after testing positive again. I think we need a ruling.

It's a Covid bogey!

at the top of the divisions? Or the usual suspects?
Bonus question: If you had to bet. What’s the surest bet for a title in any division?

Description of their product: "The canvases you see are movies condensed into chronological color strips that represent each frame - meaning the colors you see can roughly represent the main color of that scene. The movie begins with a single color strip at the start of canvas (left) and ends with the last strip (right). You can see how beautiful movies are in terms of colors!"

This is "A Few Good Men." Per the ad that popped up on my FB, you're supposed to look at the paintings and reminded of family movie nights as a kid, your first movie with a date, etc. Who would ever look at one of these and be reminded of a movie, other than the fact that you know you paid $100 for this painting that's supposed to be about a movie?

1) What do you think the ideal number of teams a conference should take in terms of football competition and what format should it be structured.
2) What is the maximum number of teams a conference could take and still make it work even though it would be quite awkward.
My answer:
I think four divisions of five teams would ideal but six teams could be possible. What do you think?

Seems to be putting on some muscle under the tutelide of Day and Morton.

Looks like Cola and our strength staff is having a different impact on him than the last head coach. haha.

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I am trying to raise money for 3 girls battling Cancer in upstate SC. Info is in the GoFundMe like. If you can help great, but please share.
Pray for our girls!! Cancer sucks.