Powder Spring (Ga.) Hillgrove class of 2022 four-star safety
Emory Floyd went public with his commitment to South Carolina on Saturday afternoon. The #WelcomeHome that Beamer put out on Wednesday afternoon was the one that corresponded with Floyd's commitment to the staff.
Floyd's other finalists were Georgia and Florida. Auburn was a long-time leader here as well and in the mix, but South Carolina was recruiting him harder than the Tigers and the efforts of Torrian Gray paid off here.
While the official visit last weekend went well and certainly he likes a lot of things about the program, the relationship with Gray and the belief that Gray can develop him as a player along with the love he felt from the staff were the biggest factors in him ultimately choosing South Carolina.
A track standout as well, the 6-foot-1, 170-pounder has length and speed that can't be taught. Floyd has only played one year of varsity football, but comes with a tremendous upside when you combine that size with the fact that he runs the 100 meter in 10.51 seconds (that's a verified high school track time - Floyd's self-reported PR ever is 10.48) and the 200 in 21.18 seconds. The size and speed is certainly there and I think he has a frame to add more weight once he gets in South Carolina's strength and nutrition programs.
Where will Floyd play in Columbia? He's listed as a safety but he's slated to start his career at cornerback, the position he prefers to play. As I said, he's a high upside kid and the type of athlete that you want to get into your program and develop and see where he lands. In other words, he's a cornerback and adds size to that position, but certainly has the skillset to transition to safety if that ends up being his best spot.
For what it's worth, Rivals was impressed with him and his coverage ability at the Atlanta Rivals Camp. Here's an excerpt from Sam Spiegelman:
Emory Floyd had a case as the top performer among defensive backs. The speedster can cover like a corner and was consistently brilliant throughout the afternoon. He can turn and run with ease, play trail and has long arms to rip passes away. Floyd won against the best receivers out there and his athleticism was glaring.
I know many will ask if South Carolina is done at defensive back at this time, but I expect the staff will continue to recruit the position. I don't think that's a position you can turn down a great player at right now and they are in on some really good ones. Plus the fact that Nick Emmanwori counts more as a hybrid linebacker/nickel for the numbers means there may be room for another if it's a player of the right talent level and we are continuing to track those guys.
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