ADVERTISEMENT

USA Men Lose to France at Tokyo

Jeesh. It looks like those 2 exhibition losses were no fluke. Plenty of NBA and top talent now spread around other teams. Still, the USA has the best high school and AAU leagues in the world and the best of these move to the NBA. Do we just have bad chemistry, too many stars that are not playing as a team or something else? Another thread on this subject was locked so starting a new one.

Insider Report #2 for July 26 - pres. by Cornerstone Financial Management - more insight on Cookout visitors

JayCornerstoneSample.png

CornerstoneColumbia.com

*** When we rolled out the early edition of Monday's Insider Report, it was noted that South Carolina was still receiving confirmations and building out its visitor list for Saturday's cookout prospect event.

By this evening, those confirmations had rolled in and the list became even more impressive.

*** Wes Mitchell rolled out the updated list earlier, but here's more information on where things stand with several prospects heading into Saturday.

2022 Commitments
OL Ryan Brubaker
QB Braden Davis
LB Nick Emmanwori
DB Emory Floyd
OL Cason Henry
DL Felix Hixon
OL Grayson Mains
WR Landon Samson
EDGE Donovan Westmoreland

The cookout - slated to begin around 11:00 a.m. - will certainly be more of an informal event, designed to maximize face time between coaches and prospects, a way to continue building bonds and relationships that were forged earlier. It shouldn't really come as a surprise, then, that the largest group in terms of number that is projected to attend comes from South Carolina's crop of 2022 verbal pledges.

The lone commitment who has not seen Carolina up close is Samson, so the productive Texas wideout will get his first in-person look at the program. He committed on the heels of a lengthy virtual visit back that took place back in June.

The group includes all of the Gamecocks' offensive line class. Davis, the Gamecocks' quarterback pledge, is back after taking a multi-day unofficial visit plus his official visit last month.

Hixon and Floyd have already made their official visits, while Westmoreland still has his official visit in his pocket to use during the season.

2022 Targets
DL D'Andre Martin
EDGE James Pearce
WR Antonio Williams

We have written numerous times that - due to space and prioritizations alike - South Carolina's 2022 target board has narrowed substantially in the last several weeks. Yet this category for Saturday's event does hold some guys that South Carolina would like to move from target to commitment.

Martin is down to a public final two of Virginia Tech and South Carolina, and last we heard, the trip to Columbia was slated to be a multi-day venture. If all goes well, this is one we'll be monitoring closely.

Pearce, who rarely grants media interviews, returns to campus after a summer visit to Columbia as well. He - along with Maryland's Jaishawn Barham - have appeared to be at the top of the board in the edge category for South Carolina.

Williams, as we reported, has official visits slated to South Carolina and Ole Miss for this season and is unlikely to render a choice until closer to Dutch Fork's playoff run. The Gamecocks are in a position that could be classified as enviable, although the Rebels are a factor and he could scheduled some other officials at a later date. He and his family have gotten plenty familiar with South Carolina's campus this summer, and this is just another opportunity for more face-to-face contact for Justin Stepp, Erik Kimrey, and Shane Beamer.

2023 Targets
OL Markee Anderson (2023)
B Troy Ford Jr. (2023)
DL Zavion Hardy (2023)
LB Grayson Howard (2023)
DL Xzavier Mcleod (2023)
EDGE Monteque Rhames II (2023)

One aspect that stands out about this list? Aside from the talent listed on it, it's the simple fact that the coaching staff already hosted each of these prospects for campus visits and/or camp experiences just last month.

Anderson took a visit last month that seemed to open his eyes to the South Carolina program, while Ford Jr. absolutely raved about his trip. The latter was in town with his family and milled around the prospect camp that was ongoing.

Mcleod worked out with defensive line coach Jimmy Lindsey in camp, and the signs here have been quite encouraging for South Carolina's chances ever since Shane Beamer was hired. If one guy had to be picked out of the 2023 crop that the Gamecocks have the best shot with, he'd have a strong argument.

Howard was on campus over the summer and his return is a nice sign for a prospect that South Carolina's expected to push hard for in this class.

Hardy is another target of Lindsey's in the 2023 class in which a very good relationship has been established. Rhames, who folks around Sumter speak very highly of, is another Palmetto State priority that took an unofficial visit to Columbia last month.

2024 Targets
DL Hevin Brown-Shuler (2024)
DB Asaad Brown (2024)
DB Jayden Coleman (2024)
DB Cayden Jones (2024)
OL Kam Pringle (2024)
OL Josiah Thompson (2024)

Brown-Shuler is a prospect we've already written plenty about, with him being from Columbia and returning often to visit and train with former Gamecock Corey Miller. It's early here, for sure, but South Carolina's done well for itself to this point.

Two of the best prospects in this class in the defensive secondary will get a look in Brown and Coleman. Brown is from Virginia, which Shane Beamer has made clear will be an area that South Carolina hits hard, while Coleman heads in from Alabama.

Jones is a Charlotte prospect that earned an offer from the Gamecock staff in camp this summer. That 2024 class in Charlotte, by the way, is a strong one, with several prospects nabbing offers from Carolina last month.

Although it's early, Pringle and Thompson are both significant priorities for Greg Adkins, both national-level prospects in the Palmetto State for that class even as youngsters. Both camped at South Carolina this summer, and the Gamecocks are expected to have a say until the end.

*** Any follow-up questions or something I didn't address that you'd like me to address? Let me know.

*** Today's Insider Report is brought to you by Cornerstone Financial Management. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Good Life Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Management and Good Life Advisors, LLC are separate entities from LPL Financial.

GCCHorizontalLogojpg.jpg
ADVERTISEMENT

Filter

ADVERTISEMENT