W
Will Helms
Guest
Howdy all! Saturday marked the last major camp of the non-college circuit, so I took in the National Preps Showcase in Bermuda Run, NC which was LOADED with college talent. I picked up a few recruiting notes there as well as a bunch of scouting info.
Scouting Notes
-- NP runs one of the best camps in the country, which is great for efficiency, but also means that with multiple fields, rapid transitions and very little idle time, it's difficult to see everyone. That being said, I got a good look at several top defensive linemen, receivers and quarterbacks (Though with SC's sights set on other QB targets in 2022/2023, I won't have much for y'all on that front)
-- One 2023 QB that I'm at least following is new Dutch Fork signal caller Aliam Appler. Appler is a legit 6-5, 200 and can sling it, with one of the quickest releases I've ever observed from a guy that tall. He's visiting South Carolina Thursday and while I'm not really considering him a legitimate target for South Carolina, he's a local FBS guy that will be throwing to a pair of South Carolina receiving targets. That makes his name one worth knowing.
-- Two names to know in the 2023 defensive line class are Smith (Greensboro) DT Jamaal Jarrett and New Bern (NC) defensive tackle KJ Sampson. While Jarrett doesn't seem like a huge target for SC at the moment, his recruitment is in the early stages. His offers, interestingly enough are about 50/50 in terms of being at offensive or defensive tackle. In my opinion, I'd only recruit him on the defensive side of the ball, where he's fairly new (He actually played tight end before gaining about 75 pounds and moving to OT and DT. He's dynamic, even at his size.
-- I'll have more on Sampson's visit schedule and recruitment below but as a player, he's impressive. He isn't the biggest tackle you'll ever see but he's incredibly strong and was as good or better than some of the best edge rushers in terms of agility and quickness Saturday. He can play the 0-technique or flex out as wide as the 7-technique, but I like him as a Javon Kinlaw-type 3-technique. His New Bern team got off to a slow start last year but rebounded after the first game to put together a great season. I have him as the No. 2 player in the 2023 NC class behind Hickory edge rusher Rico Walker.
-- Another guy I'm incredibly high on is Clayton (NC) edge rusher Donovan Spellman. Spellman had a decent sophomore year before reworking his body and absolutely taking over as a junior. He has ridiculous bend around the edge and a fairly mature pass rushing approach. He's got some work to do against the run, but he's a dynamic pass rusher and can outskill, outmuscle and outrun most opposing linemen. He's set to visit South Carolina on June 23, five days after a weekend visit to Boston College. If he makes it past that BC visit without committing, I think there's a very good chance he earns an offer from South Carolina.
-- At the receiver position, the NP Showcase was loaded, so I'll try to limit this a bit. First, at the request of college coaches, National Preps shifted away from one-on-ones a few years ago. The reasoning is that a) players run the risk of injury and b) those drills greatly favor athletic receivers who can get away with running poor routes, provided they run long enough to get open and catch the ball (Keeping in mind that they'd often be running into a safety or linebacker on the non-football routes). Instead, receivers went through a series of drills and routes designed to showcase reactions, route running and catching abilities. Chris Lawson Jr., now at Ridge View (SC) stood out as one of the better route runners of the day. He's put on some weight and looks like a legitimate Power Five receiver. He's scheduled to visit South Carolina Thursday (June 3) where I'd expect him to be "re-offered" by Justin Stepp and the next coaching staff.
-- Two more young receivers to keep an eye on this summer are Providence Day rising sophomores Channing Goodwin and Jordan Shipp. Both are camping in Columbia this year and it's very safe to say South Carolina will be factors for both (More on that below). I was impressed with both, as Goodwin is a natural route runner and both have excellent hands. Shipp's catch radius is like that of a 6-5 receiver rather than a 6-1 receiver.
Recruiting Notes
-- The Gamecocks are in no hurry to be first with Goodwin as they will be a factor when they offer. That being said, I'd expect him to earn an offer sometime this summer, as he already holds an offer from Charlotte and will camp with the Gamecocks this summer. Goodwin's father, Jonathan, played at Lower Richland in the 90s and was a 10-year center in the NFL. His uncle, Harold, played for Erik Kimrey's dad at Lower Richland and the younger Kimrey is friends with both Goodwins. Goodwin is scheduled to visit Penn State, West Virginia and Clemson before camping in Columbia on June 13.
-- The Gamecocks are also high on Shipp, who like Goodwin, already holds a couple of offers and may end up being a national recruit. He's planning on camping in Columbia and should stand out. The staff is well aware of Shipp and should be a factor for the 2024 receiver going forward.
-- 2024 Charlotte Catholic tight end Jack Larsen (Linking their profiles on Prep Redzone - the scouting site I run, since they don't yet have Rivals profiles) is my highest-rated tight end in the state, regardless of class. He kicks off the summer with a trip to Columbia to work out on Saturday (June 5) before hitting the P5s in the Triangle (UNC, Duke, NC State). He should be a highly-recruited P5 tight end as he's already 6'3, 215, can run and is mature as a pass catcher. He plays in a Wing T system, so his film isn't going to be 10 minutes of him catching passes, but he's electric when he gets his opportunities.
-- 2022 edge rushers Beau Atkinson and Brady Ioannidis are both set to camp in Columbia. Atkinson's recruitment is picking up, with officials this summer to Michigan (June 11), UVA (June 18), and California (June 25). He's camping in Columbia June 15 and is a guy I really like. He's a high-academic student and long edge rusher, measuring at 6-6, 245. He's kept a low profile on the recruiting trail but is taking a lot of visits this summer. Because of the current Covid-19-related climate, you can't count South Carolina out, should they make a push.
-- Ioannidis plays at a high school prep school called Christ School in Arden, NC but is originally from Ontario, Canada. His team was one of the few in NC that played in the fall, winning a private school championship and he subsequently received a bunch of offers from Ivy and Patriot League teams. Because he didn't play in the spring, few Power Fives know of him, but two in particular are recruiting him. He's receiving heavy interest from Tennessee, but only South Carolina will receive a visit before he moves back to Canada for the summer. He will camp with the Gamecocks on June 3.
-- I mentioned KJ Sampson as a guy I really like in the 2023 class and he's set to visit South Carolina on June 18 and stay overnight. Montario Hardesty went to the same high school (New Bern) as Sampson and has been in touch dating back to his time at Charlotte (Sampson's first offer). He was offered by South Carolina's old staff and Hardesty was able to pick up right where they left off. I like the position South Carolina is in here, but we should know more after a busy summer. Sampson is camping at Georgia June 2 and taking visits to Ohio State, Duke, North Carolina and ECU before making the trip to Columbia. So far, South Carolina and Alabama (June 22-23) are the only 2-day trips on the schedule.
— A few more of the guys I have ranked highly that are camping with South Carolina this summer: 2022 West Craven (NC) DT CJ Mims (June 19), 2023 Providence (NC) OT Connor Drake (June 18), 2023 Heritage (NC) athlete/DB Brodrick Gooch (June 3) and 2023 Maiden (NC) Athlete Chris Culliver (June 18,-7-on-7). A couple of notes on Culliver since his Rivals profile was last updated. He's now 6'3, runs a 4.45 and moved to a bigger school where he was the best player on both sides of the ball. I had the chance to see him Saturday and while he has some technique issues to refine, he's as athletic as they get and I like his upside as a receiver.
-- I should have more as the summer progresses but if you have any questions, I'm happy to do my best to answer. Thanks for being a subscriber!
Scouting Notes
-- NP runs one of the best camps in the country, which is great for efficiency, but also means that with multiple fields, rapid transitions and very little idle time, it's difficult to see everyone. That being said, I got a good look at several top defensive linemen, receivers and quarterbacks (Though with SC's sights set on other QB targets in 2022/2023, I won't have much for y'all on that front)
-- One 2023 QB that I'm at least following is new Dutch Fork signal caller Aliam Appler. Appler is a legit 6-5, 200 and can sling it, with one of the quickest releases I've ever observed from a guy that tall. He's visiting South Carolina Thursday and while I'm not really considering him a legitimate target for South Carolina, he's a local FBS guy that will be throwing to a pair of South Carolina receiving targets. That makes his name one worth knowing.
-- Two names to know in the 2023 defensive line class are Smith (Greensboro) DT Jamaal Jarrett and New Bern (NC) defensive tackle KJ Sampson. While Jarrett doesn't seem like a huge target for SC at the moment, his recruitment is in the early stages. His offers, interestingly enough are about 50/50 in terms of being at offensive or defensive tackle. In my opinion, I'd only recruit him on the defensive side of the ball, where he's fairly new (He actually played tight end before gaining about 75 pounds and moving to OT and DT. He's dynamic, even at his size.
-- I'll have more on Sampson's visit schedule and recruitment below but as a player, he's impressive. He isn't the biggest tackle you'll ever see but he's incredibly strong and was as good or better than some of the best edge rushers in terms of agility and quickness Saturday. He can play the 0-technique or flex out as wide as the 7-technique, but I like him as a Javon Kinlaw-type 3-technique. His New Bern team got off to a slow start last year but rebounded after the first game to put together a great season. I have him as the No. 2 player in the 2023 NC class behind Hickory edge rusher Rico Walker.
-- Another guy I'm incredibly high on is Clayton (NC) edge rusher Donovan Spellman. Spellman had a decent sophomore year before reworking his body and absolutely taking over as a junior. He has ridiculous bend around the edge and a fairly mature pass rushing approach. He's got some work to do against the run, but he's a dynamic pass rusher and can outskill, outmuscle and outrun most opposing linemen. He's set to visit South Carolina on June 23, five days after a weekend visit to Boston College. If he makes it past that BC visit without committing, I think there's a very good chance he earns an offer from South Carolina.
-- At the receiver position, the NP Showcase was loaded, so I'll try to limit this a bit. First, at the request of college coaches, National Preps shifted away from one-on-ones a few years ago. The reasoning is that a) players run the risk of injury and b) those drills greatly favor athletic receivers who can get away with running poor routes, provided they run long enough to get open and catch the ball (Keeping in mind that they'd often be running into a safety or linebacker on the non-football routes). Instead, receivers went through a series of drills and routes designed to showcase reactions, route running and catching abilities. Chris Lawson Jr., now at Ridge View (SC) stood out as one of the better route runners of the day. He's put on some weight and looks like a legitimate Power Five receiver. He's scheduled to visit South Carolina Thursday (June 3) where I'd expect him to be "re-offered" by Justin Stepp and the next coaching staff.
-- Two more young receivers to keep an eye on this summer are Providence Day rising sophomores Channing Goodwin and Jordan Shipp. Both are camping in Columbia this year and it's very safe to say South Carolina will be factors for both (More on that below). I was impressed with both, as Goodwin is a natural route runner and both have excellent hands. Shipp's catch radius is like that of a 6-5 receiver rather than a 6-1 receiver.
Recruiting Notes
-- The Gamecocks are in no hurry to be first with Goodwin as they will be a factor when they offer. That being said, I'd expect him to earn an offer sometime this summer, as he already holds an offer from Charlotte and will camp with the Gamecocks this summer. Goodwin's father, Jonathan, played at Lower Richland in the 90s and was a 10-year center in the NFL. His uncle, Harold, played for Erik Kimrey's dad at Lower Richland and the younger Kimrey is friends with both Goodwins. Goodwin is scheduled to visit Penn State, West Virginia and Clemson before camping in Columbia on June 13.
-- The Gamecocks are also high on Shipp, who like Goodwin, already holds a couple of offers and may end up being a national recruit. He's planning on camping in Columbia and should stand out. The staff is well aware of Shipp and should be a factor for the 2024 receiver going forward.
-- 2024 Charlotte Catholic tight end Jack Larsen (Linking their profiles on Prep Redzone - the scouting site I run, since they don't yet have Rivals profiles) is my highest-rated tight end in the state, regardless of class. He kicks off the summer with a trip to Columbia to work out on Saturday (June 5) before hitting the P5s in the Triangle (UNC, Duke, NC State). He should be a highly-recruited P5 tight end as he's already 6'3, 215, can run and is mature as a pass catcher. He plays in a Wing T system, so his film isn't going to be 10 minutes of him catching passes, but he's electric when he gets his opportunities.
-- 2022 edge rushers Beau Atkinson and Brady Ioannidis are both set to camp in Columbia. Atkinson's recruitment is picking up, with officials this summer to Michigan (June 11), UVA (June 18), and California (June 25). He's camping in Columbia June 15 and is a guy I really like. He's a high-academic student and long edge rusher, measuring at 6-6, 245. He's kept a low profile on the recruiting trail but is taking a lot of visits this summer. Because of the current Covid-19-related climate, you can't count South Carolina out, should they make a push.
-- Ioannidis plays at a high school prep school called Christ School in Arden, NC but is originally from Ontario, Canada. His team was one of the few in NC that played in the fall, winning a private school championship and he subsequently received a bunch of offers from Ivy and Patriot League teams. Because he didn't play in the spring, few Power Fives know of him, but two in particular are recruiting him. He's receiving heavy interest from Tennessee, but only South Carolina will receive a visit before he moves back to Canada for the summer. He will camp with the Gamecocks on June 3.
-- I mentioned KJ Sampson as a guy I really like in the 2023 class and he's set to visit South Carolina on June 18 and stay overnight. Montario Hardesty went to the same high school (New Bern) as Sampson and has been in touch dating back to his time at Charlotte (Sampson's first offer). He was offered by South Carolina's old staff and Hardesty was able to pick up right where they left off. I like the position South Carolina is in here, but we should know more after a busy summer. Sampson is camping at Georgia June 2 and taking visits to Ohio State, Duke, North Carolina and ECU before making the trip to Columbia. So far, South Carolina and Alabama (June 22-23) are the only 2-day trips on the schedule.
— A few more of the guys I have ranked highly that are camping with South Carolina this summer: 2022 West Craven (NC) DT CJ Mims (June 19), 2023 Providence (NC) OT Connor Drake (June 18), 2023 Heritage (NC) athlete/DB Brodrick Gooch (June 3) and 2023 Maiden (NC) Athlete Chris Culliver (June 18,-7-on-7). A couple of notes on Culliver since his Rivals profile was last updated. He's now 6'3, runs a 4.45 and moved to a bigger school where he was the best player on both sides of the ball. I had the chance to see him Saturday and while he has some technique issues to refine, he's as athletic as they get and I like his upside as a receiver.
-- I should have more as the summer progresses but if you have any questions, I'm happy to do my best to answer. Thanks for being a subscriber!
