W
Wes Mitchell
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RECRUITING NOTES
** The stars are aligning for Bossier City (La.) Parkway (and former Berkeley) four-star safety Israel Mukuamu to ultimately be a part of South Carolina's 2018 class. I mentioned earlier this week that Mukuamu is paying attention to the Jimbo Fisher situation at Florida State. While all signs point to Fisher taking the A&M job, I would say that the uncertainty there has already played a role in his recruitment, even if Fisher was to somehow reverse course and stay. [Mukuamu has now decommitted from FSU]
Defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson has remained in contact with Mukuamu, who says the Gamecocks are coming down to see him early next week, and the big safety target is a take for South Carolina. Mukuamu is an early signee and an early enrollee who will go through spring practice at the school of his choice.
Based on what I'm hearing, I'm adding Mukuamu to my projected additions to the class, which means that list now looks like this:
**** CB Jaycee Horn
**** DT Rick Sandidge
**** OL Dylan Wonnum
*** DE Jarrett Jackson
**** S Israel Mukuamu
** I'm told that the staff expects the month of December and for the early signing period to be very kind to the Gamecocks. I think it's safe to say that some guys are on #SpursUpAlert in the next few weeks. Depending on how the class finishes out, 10-12 guys should enroll early this spring.
As mentioned by Chris, the staff would like to sign as many guys as possible during the early period, which allows them to get a better feel for overall numbers, to concentrate on the final targets, and to get a jump on the next cycle of prospects.
We had mentioned this as a possibility before, but JUCO DT Jabari Ellis is not going to be able to enroll early and go through spring practice as originally planned. Ellis will still sign early but won't be in Columbia until May.
TEAM NOTES
The latest news on the injury recoveries of both running back Rico Dowdle and tight end K.C. Crosby is positive.
I'm told that Dowdle expects to play in the bowl game and that while he may be brought along slow early in bowl practice, the belief is that he'll be cleared to play for the bowl game.
Crosby's dad said this week that Crosby was about a week and a half away from being able to run, according to @SportsTalkSC, and I'm told that the hope is also that he'll be back for the bowl game.
It's too early to tell on whether running back AJ Turner will be back, but that is at least a possibility.
BOWL SCOOP
There has been some in-house hope at South Carolina this week that the Gamecocks are going to be selected to the Citrus Bowl, but in talking to a bowl-connected source on Wednesday night, the most likely scenario now appears to be the Outback Bowl versus Michigan.
We know at this point that the Gamecocks will definitely be headed to one out of the Citrus, Outback and Taxslayer Bowls.
The SEC seems very likely to get three teams into the CFP/NY6 games which means that the three above bowls will likely choose among LSU, South Carolina and Mississippi State.
Mississippi State seemed destined for the Citrus at one time until the Bulldogs lost the game to Ole Miss plus their quarterback and their coach in one fell swoop, which knocked them way down the pecking order.
I think it's safe to say that the Taxslayer Bowl reps would have crawled from Jacksonville down I-95 to Columbia to be able to select the Gamecocks and have likely done some politicking to try to make it happen, but right now that doesn't seem likely. I've heard that bowl could now even possibly take Texas A&M over MSU to face off with Louisville, N.C. State or Virginia Tech.
The question has been whether or not the Citrus Bowl will take LSU two years in a row. If they don't, then the Gamecocks are headed there. But, again, as of right now the word in the SEC bowl world is that they will take LSU and the Gamecocks will head to Tampa.
Bowls will be announced on Sunday, so this is still a fluid situation that I will continue to update you on in the coming days.
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