W
Wes Mitchell
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FOOTBALL RECRUITING
** Five-star defensive end Zacch Pickens dropped in on the EPT Showcase camp at Irmo High Saturday before shooting off to Georgia for an unofficial visit there. Pickens did give interviews at the camp with the most interesting notes being that he says his current plan is to wait until later in the process to make a decision and that he's not necessarily locked into that first weekend in June for his official visit to South Carolina (though we've been told for some time that's the plan). Pickens doesn't give away much info, but we continue to hear that South Carolina, Georgia and Clemson are the strongest here with the Gamecocks likely holding the edge.
** South Carolina quarterbacks coach Dan Werner was in Myrtle Beach within the last few weeks to watch Myrtle Beach class of 2020 quarterback Luke Doty and I'm told he was impressed. Doty was of course initially offered - and made a priority - by former quarterbacks coach Kurt Roper, so there's always a question as to how much the recruiting board will shift following a coaching change. Following Werner's evaluation visit to Doty, head coach Will Muschamp let the Doty family know on the phone that Luke is someone Werner wants and that he's a priority for the program, something that went a long way with them. While we haven't had a firm grasp on the 2020 quarterback board yet, it's safe to say that Doty is someone the Gamecocks are going to recruit hard.
On the field, Doty continues to get better every time I see him and that was the case Saturday at the EPT camp as well. I've always said that he has all the tools and you can see the hard work there paying off as his arm continues to get stronger and he becomes a more accurate passer. Doty's recruitment has continued to take off with Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Appalachian State jumping in with offers in the last week or so. I hear that TCU could be next to offer and that Ohio State is going to be down to evaluate Doty soon.
All of the new interest could result in a shift in schedule for the June camp visits. Doty visited the Gamecocks this spring and I would expect him to camp in Columbia again as well. UNC, Virginia Tech, N.C. State and Wake Forest continue to be the other schools to keep an eye on in Doty's recruitment. He hopes to make a decision around this time next year or before.
** One of the fastest-rising prospects in the state of South Carolina as far as recruiting buzz goes is Blythewood (S.C.) Westwood three-star cornerback Cam Smith. The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder is now up to 20-plus offers and probably would have gotten more sooner, but he started out slightly under the local radar since he is a transfer in from Maryland. Smith has South Carolina's attention though, and will camp with the Gamecocks in June when he has a strong chance to earn an offer with an impressive showing.
Smith recently landed offers from North Carolina and Tennessee and is starting to make a case among many who follow such things as the best defensive back prospect in the state. Smith's length instantly gets him on the radar with major college coaches and he was also very impressive at the Charlotte Rivals Camp last month. He's a name to remember now for sure.
** Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas three-star linebacker Jahmar Brown will make his decision on Thursday and it appears to be a Miami-South Carolina battle. South Carolina has made the 6-foot-1, 200-pounder a priority prospect and he's definitely a take for the Gamecocks if he decides to commit to them. Brown's feedback to Carolina has continued to be positive, but there seems to be local buzz for him to select Miami, where he already has a couple of teammates committed. I'm continuing to try to gather as much info as possible though headed into Thursday.
BASKETBALL RECRUITING
** Last week I was told that a commitment from four-star big-man D.J. Burns to Tennessee or South Carolina was possible by the end of the week, but now it looks like Burns will wait until June - the original plan - before announcing a decision. South Carolina has had a lot working in its favor in the last month or so and had the momentum, which I thought would be enough to push them past the Vols. But with a couple of weeks to go, my latest info leads me to believe Tennessee has the best shot of landing him. I apologize for the back and forth here, but it's been extremely close with a lot of factors involved. I will be continuing to track this situation until he commits.
** News broke last week that Mississauga (On.) GTA Prep four-star wing A.J. Lawson will take an official visit to South Carolina the first weekend of June. The 6-foot-7, 185-pound Lawson was originally a part of the 2019 class but is also set to reclassify to 2018. The Gamecocks will clearly need the official visit to go well, but I'm told the staff feels good about its current position with Lawson.
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