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Wes Mitchell
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** This should come as no surprise if you read the notes on Rock Hill (S.C.) South Pointe three-star ATH O'Mega Blake earlier this week after the Gamecocks offered, but I feel even stronger now about the Gamecocks chances than I did when I first put in my Futurecast prediction.
This is a little bit of an outside the box take, but there are some who I trust that believe Blake is in the conversation for the best pure football player in the state for this class. South Carolina has always had Blake on the board as a likely offer and Blake has worked really hard in the classroom in the last year to put himself in a position to land one. I don't think Blake is quite on the same level athletically as Derion Kendrick, who of course came out of South Pointe a few years ago, but those I talk with tell me there's a similar skill set.
Much like DK, Blake is someone who could play receiver or defensive back. If he chooses the Gamecocks, I think he'll start out at wide receiver, but there's always the chance he slides over to DB if it doesn't work out there.
Blake has called Carolina his "dream school" in several interviews since getting an offer, and it's an offer he's been waiting for, so I don't think he'll wait long to jump on it.
** We mentioned in the CC earlier this week that the Gamecocks could find some momentum in the form of commitments soon and that took place with the commit of running back Caleb JuJu McDowell on Tuesday at noon. In digging further on McDowell, I'm told that he's been timed as fast as a 4.42 in the 40-yard-dash and also vertical jumps 40 inches - very impressive numbers, especially combined with his 350-pound bench max and 600-pound squat.
Where does South Carolina go from here at running back? As I've said before, I expect them to sign two backs and I'll reiterate what we said earlier this week, the next one should come from the group of K'Wan Powell, Antario Brown, Ke'Travion Hargrove and Jaylin White. Which prospect will actually take that spot is difficult to predict. But the Gamecocks remain in great shape to land one of them and my feeling right now is that they're probably the outright leader for the first two and have some momentum with the second two as well.
** Keeping with the momentum theme, Cedartown (Ga.) three-star ATH Jayden Johnson has set a commitment date of this Monday. Johnson has a Top 10 of South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Virginia, Kansas State, East Carolina, Memphis, New Mexico State and Georgia State that he hasn't publicly trimmed. But this has primarily turned into a South Carolina-Georgia Tech battle and I would give the edge to the Gamecocks with my Futurecast reflecting that. Johnson would play safety if he picks South Carolina.
** Garden City (Kan.) CC three-star defensive end Shemar Pearl has set a commit date of June 18 and has a final three of South Carolina, Missouri and Texas Tech. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound Plano, Texas native originally signed with Missouri out of high school in 2019, so my assumption has been that he's going with the Tigers, but his recruitment has been kept pretty quiet so we'll continue to track it.
** Earlier this week, South Carolina offered one of the fastest-rising tight end prospects in the country in Olive Branch (Miss.) three-star tight Jalen Shead. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound dual-sport standout has also recently added offers from Alabama, Arkansas, FSU, Ole Miss and TCU among others. We hope to catch up with Shead soon about his South Carolina offer.
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