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GT: 5Q with Peter Burns - Stars & the NFL Draft - SEC Media Days

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Brian Shoemaker

Guest
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GAMECOCKS TODAY!
Thursday, July 11


Good morning from Gamecock Central.

We're 51 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.

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Maxwell Iyama (Credit: Chris Gillespie)

1. 5️⃣1️⃣ Countdown to Kickoff: 51 days!

Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 51 days, so today’s featured player is redshirt freshman offensive lineman Maxwell Iyama.

The former Rivals 250 recruit enrolled in January of 2018 and redshirted last season. An athletic player, Iyama can play most of the positions along the offensive line and should provide quality depth at multiple positions this season if he can stay healthy.

Will Helms

2. Five questions with Peter Burns

Peter Burns is an ESPN radio host and SEC Network studio anchor. You can follow him on Twitter @PeterBurnsESPN.

1) How did you get into doing TV and radio? Was it something you had always wanted to do?

I always loved sports growing up and when I graduated from college, I had a job in the oil and gas industry. The job would require me to drive a lot, so I would listen to sports talk radio. In 2002, I entered a sports radio contest with Fox Sports Radio and out of hundreds of people, I won! So I got to be a host for a day. It was then that I decided that I wanted to make it a career, so I quit my job and started working for the sports radio station in San Antonio.

2) What’s your favorite part of your job?

My favorite part is being around the future pro athletes and watching them develop as both players and as young men and women. Working for the SEC Network, we meet these kids when they are 18 years old and we see them grow into stars.

3) What do you think gives the SEC the biggest advantage compared to other conferences?

There are a lot of factors in play. I think the fact that schools are in cities that are not huge means the entire city supports them, which leads to a lot of money being put into the school and programs. With more financial support, the schools are able to build the best facilities, hire the best coaches and attract fans that care about the sports

4) Do you see a program in the SEC being able to de-throne Alabama while Nick Saban is still coaching?

I’m not sure anyone will be able to de-throne Nick Saban as the best coach in the history of college football. However, it was Auburn just two years ago that won the West and Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs had Bama down two years in a row in their matchups, so it’s possible. I think LSU can give the Tide a run for their money this year.

5) What would you rank Will Muschamp in terms of SEC coaches?

While his numbers haven’t been amazing, I think Will ranks in the top five of coaches in the SEC. Will runs a clean program and really coaches the way it should be done. If I had a son and he was playing football, Muschamp would likely be the No. 1 coach in the SEC that I would want him to play for.

Jackson Fields

3. ⭐ Stars and the NFL draft

Since 2005 (the first year in which 2003 signees were draft eligible) the Gamecocks have had 43 players drafted. Here’s the breakdown by Rivals star ranking.

  • 5-Star: 4 total, 3 drafted (75% drafted)
  • 4-Star: 100 total, 13 drafted (13%)
  • 3-Star: 201 total, 18 drafted (9%)
  • 2-Star: 51 total, 7 drafted (13.7%)
  • Unranked: 2 drafted
IN-DEPTH: Examining USC's draft record by recruiting ranking (subscription)

Will Helms

4. This, that, and the other

Football: USC announces trio for SEC Media Days - Which players will represent the Gamecocks at the annual event? (link)

Baseball: Why Colin Burgess chose South Carolina - What led to the newest member of the 2019 class to the Gamecocks. (link)

Football Recruiting: Gamecocks football camp superlatives: Best by class - GamecockCentral.com was on hand to cover all 10 days of the Will Muschamp Football Camp. In this feature, Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell each choose their top overall performer from each class. (subscription)

Jackson Fields

5. Events and Birthdays!

Happy Birthday to Scott Mackie – An outfielder from Southington, Conn., he played sparingly as a freshman in 1982. Mackie started to see the field more in 1983 and batted .304 with an OPS of .891, as he had six doubles and three home runs in less than 100 at-bats. He joined the starting lineup in 1984 and drove in 32 runs while hitting .265. Mackie blossomed as a senior as part of a club that went 6-0 against Clemson during the regular season. He hit .329 with a .911 OPS with 12 doubles, four home runs and 32 RBI. He was one of the co-captains of that year's Gamecock squad. Mackie was named to the Metro Conference All-Tournament team as well as the all-regional team for the East Region hosted by Carolina. He currently is in the mortgage industry in the Atlanta area.

More Birthdays
Jerry Aubin (football/wide receiver, 1979-81)
Dunsey Harper (football/safety, 1988)
Lewis Jenkins (baseball/third base, 1985-86)
LeAnna Morrison (women's basketball/guard, 2013-14)
Anthony Parlor (football/wide receiver, 1988)
Craig Phillips (football/tight end, 1995)
Jake Williams (baseball/outfield, 2010-11)

Commitments
Brady Allen (baseball/outfield) committed on July 11, 2017

John Parker, gamecockarchives.com

6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)

• July 15 – SEC Media Days (4)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days (5)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, USC's day (6)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days (7)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (7)
• July 20 – Football: Ladies Clinic (9)
• Aug. 1 – Football: Media Day (21)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (37)
• Aug. 22 – My Carolina Sports Preview (42)
• Aug. 22 – Carolina Calls feat. Muschamp (42)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (51)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (125)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (160)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (209)

7. Most recent podcast

Gamecock Central football and recruiting insiders Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell join host Pearson Fowler on Another Carolina Podcast. Topics on this episode include:

  • Georgia DB Joey Hunter commits to South Carolina. How did the Gamecocks land him and what type of player did they get?
  • What does it mean for Gamecocks DB recruiting moving forward?
  • Returns on South Carolina quarterback commit Luke Doty from the Elite 11 and The Opening.
  • Could running backs Marshawn Lloyd and Tank Bigsby hit it off at The Opening? What it would mean for the Gamecocks.


Listen to Gamecock Central Podcasts on these platforms: Apple iTunes Podcasts | Spotify | PlayerFM | SoundCloud | Stitcher | iHeartRadio | Spreaker | YouTube

ALSO: more episodes | GC Radio app: App Store - Google Play

Wes Mitchell
 
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