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Wes Mitchell
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With the commitment of Philadelphia (Pa.) St. Joseph's four-star CB Keenan Nelson Jr. on Thursday, South Carolina now has 16 high school commits in its 2022 class and the No. 12 class in the Rivals Team Rankings.
As Chris reminded everyone yesterday in The Insider Report, defensive back transfers Tyrese Ross and Karon Prunty also count towards the 2022 class while Carlins Platel is the last prospect who counted towards 2021.
That means that the Gamecocks currently have seven spots left in the 2022 class. That number can, of course, always change if there is attrition or if grade issues pop up (there's almost always a guy or two) but right now it's seven.
On the offensive side of the ball, we know that the Gamecocks would like to add a running back, two wide receivers, and a tight end if his name is top tight end target Oscar Delp.
On the defensive side, the numbers are a bit more fluid when you start getting into the weeds about who plays where (for example Nick Emmanwori is listed as a DB but probably grows into a big nickel or WILL LB; Donovan Westmoreland is being recruited as an EDGE but there's still a possibility he could be a true LB).
But it's safe to say the staff would like to add at least one more guy each on the interior, at EDGE and at LB with the flexibility to potentially add a second at any of those spots if the right guy wants to come. And even as strong as the DB class is right now, I can't see the staff passing on a great DB either - though that class could certainly be done.
While it's certainly a large defensive back class, it's a diverse group with a variety of skillsets.
I look at Nelson, Emory Floyd and Anthony Rose all as guys with the athleticism and size to play cornerback in the SEC but any of the three could also end up at safety or nickel.
JyVonte McClendon and Peyton Williams are more true safety types, while Kajuan Banks could be a smaller corner or cover nickel. As mentioned above, Emmanwori is more of a big nickel or even WILL linebacker but the staff is excited about adding someone with his size and athleticism into the fold.
Getting back to the class ranking, South Carolina currently has a star average of 3.25. Some have argued that the Gamecock's current class is artificially inflated by the number of current commitments Carolina has compared to the other programs around them in the rankings. That's somewhat true to an extent -- if you sort the class by star average, the Gamecocks have the 29th best class in the country -- but it shouldn't diminish the work Beamer and Co. have done on the recruiting trail in a short period of time. South Carolina will, of course, continue to add prospects in its class, and the other programs will continue to add as well.
That means they'll need to continue to add top prospects in order to keep their lofty current class ranking, but when you look at their final targets available, that's certainly possible as Carolina continues to chase blue-chippers like Delp, Antonio Williams, Jayden Gibson, Dane Key, Jaylon Glover and Jaishawn Barham.
In the end, the Gamecocks will likely finish somewhere in between the No. 12 overall class they have right now and the No. 29 class they have right now when sorting strictly by star ranking average. Looking back at the last few classes, and this is admittedly a rough estimate because the rankings formula goes deeper than this, but a full class with the current star average would likely put South Carolina just inside the Top 20 in the Team Recruiting Rankings.
TEAM NOTES
** Luke Doty continues to lead the way at quarterback, and despite all the discussion surrounding that position out of the spring, I would be shocked if anyone other than Doty is South Carolina's starter to begin the year. Beamer has publicly said Doty is the No. 1 guy and it's going to be up to the other quarterbacks to insert themselves into the conversation and that tracks with what we've heard as well.
That said, give credit to the entire quarterback room - Doty, Colten Gauthier, Jason Brown and Connor Jordan - for putting in the work this offseason. It's a hardworking group that's putting in the extra effort that's required at the position.
Brown has put in the extra conditioning work to slim down, something Beamer praised him for at SEC Media Days. And Gauthier was very impressive for a freshman in the spring. The kid can spin it and he's got a confidence and swagger about him that's needed at that position. There's some excitement about his upside and future in the program.
** MarShawn Lloyd continues to work at full speed and he's continued to be the leader he's been since he first arrived in terms of putting in extra work. I expect him to have a huge year and be a major part of what the Gamecocks do on offense.
** Defensive back transfer Karon Prunty has been as advertised in the first week or so he's been involved with player-run-practices. There's always an adjustment process in the strength and conditioning side of things with a new player (that Columbia heat hits different), so the few weeks he'll have on campus prior to practice starting should be massive in terms of hitting the ground running in practice. I'm also told that Cam Smith has had some strong moments this summer and continues to take steps forward.
** It came as no surprise to us when we looked at the new football roster and saw sophomore DL Tonka Hemingway listed at 6-foot-3, 297-pounds. There were some questions from the fan base about Hemingway's move to the interior in the spring but I can tell you that the former Conway standout has bought into it completely and has clearly put in the work to get up to a standard defensive tackle playing size in the SEC.
Hemingway, we're told, has impressed his coaches with his willingness to put in the extra work in the offseason and it's paying off. You'll recall us reporting and commenting multiple times after the Gamecocks landed Hemingway that he was a three-sport standout in high school and that meant a weight that fluctuated quite a bit as a prep player (it's difficult to maintain weight running up and down a basketball court).
But as suspected, now that Hemingway is focused on playing one sport, while combining the nutrition and strength resources at South Carolina with his work ethic, he's been able to add good weight to his frame. It's obviously early, and there's a lot of competition on the defensive line, but right now we'd probably project Hemingway as a starter at defensive tackle.
** In talking to one source who has been around the game and has quite a bit of knowledge of the Gamecocks' roster, it was reiterated to us just how important it will be for this team to find a way to stay relatively healthy. That's no surprise to anyone reading it, and really not breaking news, but it just drove home that point for me. Fans like to point to the talent that is on the roster, and there certainly is some ability, especially at certain positions, but the Gamecocks haven't had the depth of many of their opponents and that's why injuries have absolutely killed them (in addition to the sheer number of injuries the last few years). Some of that is just simply good luck vs. bad luck, but I'd look for Beamer to do everything in his power in making decisions that help to limit injuries.
That also reminds us that by the time the spring game took place, South Carolina was missing over 20 players who could potentially help the team this year, some of which could do more than just help and some of which played little if at all during the spring.
There are some guys on the roster who currently have to be categorized as unknowns, just because they were banged up in the spring and the new staff hasn't seen them. Wide receiver Ahmarean Brown, for example, was banged up for most of the spring but was brought in as a potential starter. EDGE Jordan Strachan is closing in on 250 pounds and will surely have his say in the push for a starting spot but was banged up for much of the spring too. Jaylin Dickerson and Jahmar Brown, who is now listed as a defensive back, are also in that category.
The same source also told me just how impressed they were with the overall knowledge of the game from offensive coordinator Marcus Satterfield and defensive coordinator Clayton White. Both are incredibly "sharp" from an Xs and 0s standpoint and that's been apparent from Day 1. Obviously, there's a lot more that will go into gameday prep and gameday playcalling, but so far so good as far as knowledge of the game.
** Shane Beamer said at SEC Media Days that DB Isaiah Norris and LB Bam Martin-Scott are "on track" to enroll at South Carolina by camp. In talking to someone close to Norris, I was told that he is set to move in at South Carolina in August. He was set to be in Columbia this week for orientation and should find out then when his exact move-in day is.
** South Carolina began to update its banners and messaging around its facilities last month to better fit with Shane Beamer's program and that will continue at Williams-Brice Stadium going into the season. I expect the massive banner on the back side of the elevator on the west side of the stadium - the one that currently has a huge image of a player - to be updated with messaging that's more in line with Beamer's approach to the program.
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