B
Brian Shoemaker
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Good morning from Gamecock Central.
We're 61 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
Cameron Johnson (Credit: Chris Gillespie)
1. 6️⃣1️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 61 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 61 days. Today’s player is walk-on offensive lineman Cameron Johnson.
Johnson was a two-sport star at Marlboro County High School in Bennettsville, S.C. An all-region selection in both football and basketball, Johnson turned down some Division II scholarship offers in basketball to walk on with the Gamecocks.
Johnson has worked with the scout team for two years and will likely stay in the role in 2019.
– Will Helms
2. Gamecocks commits, targets competing at national showcase
A combination of South Carolina commits and targets will compete at one of the most prestigious national events in high school football this week, The Opening Finals. The four-day event, which began on Sunday and runs through Wednesday, is dubbed as featuring dynamic training, coaching and competition for the country’s most elite high school football players. The Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, hosts this year's competition.
Here are three storylines to watch for the year's Opening Finals.
• Luke Doty competes with the best - South Carolina quarterback commit Luke Doty, already considered one of the best in the 2020 class, gets the chance to match his skills with 19 fellow top quarterback prospects. The Opening runs in conjunction with the illustrious Elite 11 competition, which technically began on Friday and ran through Sunday. Doty, who was officially ranked fourth among the quarterbacks at the end of Sunday, will get the chance to quarterback a 7-on-7 team that features Carolina commit MarShawn Lloyd and major targets Tank Bigsby and Jaheim Bell, a Florida commit.
• Running backs Lloyd and Bigsby unite - South Carolina fans hope that MarShawn Lloyd and Tank Bigsby will unite at the college level. They'll get a preview of the two as teammates this week when the top running backs will compete on the same 7-on-7 team at The Opening. Lloyd, who is already committed to South Carolina, is considered the No. 6 running back and No. 34 overall prospect in his class. Bigsby, a top overall target for the Gamecocks, is ranked the No. 29 overall prospect and top player at the "athlete" position. This week's festivities will allow the two to hang out for the first time. It's a safe bet that the South Carolina program will be a topic of conversation.
• Florida commit hangs with Gamecocks - Doty, Lloyd and South Carolina offensive line commit Issiah Walker will surely put on their recruiting hats while in Texas and Bigsby isn't the only prospect they'll be targeting. High three-star tight end Jaheim Bell, a Florida commitment who took an official to South Carolina in June, is also set to compete on Doty and Lloyd's 7-on-7 unit. Despite Bell's pledge to Florida, South Carolina has given the playmaker plenty to think about and is looking to flip him to the Gamecocks.
• Also see: Complete list of USC commits, targets competing in Texas
– Wes Mitchell
3. This, that, and the other
MLB: Merrifield headed to All-Star Game - Kansas City Royal outfielder and former Gamecock Whit Merrifield is headed to his first-ever MLB All-Star Game. (link)
Men's Tennis: Gamecock playing in Wimbledon - USC's Paul Jubb will be matched against Joao Sousa of Portugal in the first round of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. Sousa is the No. 66 ranked player in the world. (link)
Football Recruiting: Who leads for Tisdol? - One day it's Auburn, then the next it's South Carolina. The talented linebacker out of Rochelle, Ga., has almost committed at least once in recent weeks and he is likely to end the recruiting process later this summer. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Stokes breaks down South Carolina offer - Hammond running back C.J. Stokes has been on the Gamecock football staff's radar for some time. Recently, things were turned up a notch when the 2022 prospect picked up an offer from South Carolina. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: 2021 four-star LB Junior Colson talks Tennessee, Michigan, South Carolina - The latest with a big prospect in the 2021 class. (subscription)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: P.J. Hall visit, more in-state recruiting notes - It's been a busy time for the basketball program with the Gamecocks working to nail down their 2020 class and get a jump start on the 2021 and 2022 classes as well. (link)
Men's Basketball: How the Gamecocks landed McCreary, Henry - Frank Martin shares behind-the-scenes details of the two bigs' recruitment. (link)
Men's Basketball: Gamecocks announce new numbers, weight changes - A few guys gained some good weight, too. (link)
Baseball: Bowen sees potential with South Carolina next season - As soon as Bryant Bowen put his name in the transfer portal almost 30 schools were lined up, but one quickly rose to the top. (link)
Baseball: Commitment agrees to terms with pro team - One of USC's 2019 signees won't make it to school. (link)
Baseball: Wes Clarke named summer league all-star - The rising sophomore is thriving this summer. (link)
Baseball: Kerry earns another honor - Brett Kerry has been named a first-team Freshman All-American by D1Baseball. (link)
Men's Soccer: 25 Gamecocks named to C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll - All 25 players on the 2018 South Carolina men's soccer roster were named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or higher) for the 2018-19 academic year. (link)
Softball: Krupit, national team set for remaining summer schedule - USC's Kassidy Krupit and the 2019 U-19 United States Junior Women's National Team return stateside for the remaining portion of the summer schedule starting July 1 in Columbus, Ga. (link)
General: South Carolina earns top-25 finish in directors’ cup standings - USC finished No. 22 in the final 2018-19 Learfield IMG Directors' Cup Division I Final Standings. The 22nd place finish is fourth in school history and the fifth time in 26 years that Carolina has finished in the top 25. (link)
Gamecock Success Week: Wrapping up a historic decade - As the second decade of the 21st century comes to a close after this fall, it's pretty amazing to see just how great the last 10 seasons have been for South Carolina Athletics. (link)
The latest: South Carolina Gamecocks football recruiting news - Will Muschamp and the football program continues its pursuit of a strong 2020 recruiting class as the month of July approaches. Catch up on the very latest Gamecock football recruiting news in this feature. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
July 1, 2008 – Steve Spurrier's staff received two commitments for the 2009 class on July 1, 2008, as fullback Matt Coffee and defensive lineman Aldrick Fordham pledged to become Gamecocks.
5. Birthdays!
• Bennett Swygert – As a high school senior in 2000, Swygert was named all-state and played in the Shrine Bowl, but also suffered the first of a series of knee injuries that would eventually short circuit his career. Swygert waited a year to enroll and heal his knee, then redshirted in 2002. He saw some playing time as a redshirt freshman while backing up Dondrial Pinkins. His best game was a 4-for-5 passing game against Georgia that included a 37-yard touchdown pass to Demetris Summers. Following the 2003 season, Swygert transferred to Western Carolina, where he worked as the starter in 2004 and 2006. Knee and shoulder injuries kept him out all of 2005. After graduation he worked as the quarterback coach at Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston from 2007 to 2010 and then took over as the running backs coach at Newberry in 2011. Swygert took over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2012, remaining in that role through 2018. January 2019 saw Swygert take over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at S.C. State.
• Ebony Jones (women's basketball/guard, 2004-08)
• Perry Phillips (football/linebacker, 1977-78)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (10 days)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (14)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (15)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (16)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (17)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (17)
• July 20 – Football: Ladies Clinic (19)
• Aug. 1 – Football: Media Day (31)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (47)
• Aug. 22 – My Carolina Sports Preview (52)
• Aug. 22 – Carolina Calls feat. Muschamp (52)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (61)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (135)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (170)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (219)
7. Newest Podcast: Camp, Commitment Recap
Gamecock Central football and recruiting insiders Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell join host Pearson Fowler on Another Carolina Podcast. Topics on this episode include:
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
DID YOU KNOW? You can receive this report (Gamecocks Today) early each morning in your email inbox. Sign up here.
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GAMECOCKS TODAY!
Monday, July 1
Monday, July 1
Good morning from Gamecock Central.
We're 61 days away from the Gamecocks playing North Carolina.
Cameron Johnson (Credit: Chris Gillespie)
1. 6️⃣1️⃣ Countdown to kickoff: 61 days!
Our countdown to South Carolina's 2019 season opener against North Carolina in Charlotte is now down to just 61 days. Today’s player is walk-on offensive lineman Cameron Johnson.
Johnson was a two-sport star at Marlboro County High School in Bennettsville, S.C. An all-region selection in both football and basketball, Johnson turned down some Division II scholarship offers in basketball to walk on with the Gamecocks.
Johnson has worked with the scout team for two years and will likely stay in the role in 2019.
– Will Helms
2. Gamecocks commits, targets competing at national showcase
A combination of South Carolina commits and targets will compete at one of the most prestigious national events in high school football this week, The Opening Finals. The four-day event, which began on Sunday and runs through Wednesday, is dubbed as featuring dynamic training, coaching and competition for the country’s most elite high school football players. The Ford Center at the Star in Frisco, Texas, hosts this year's competition.
Here are three storylines to watch for the year's Opening Finals.
• Luke Doty competes with the best - South Carolina quarterback commit Luke Doty, already considered one of the best in the 2020 class, gets the chance to match his skills with 19 fellow top quarterback prospects. The Opening runs in conjunction with the illustrious Elite 11 competition, which technically began on Friday and ran through Sunday. Doty, who was officially ranked fourth among the quarterbacks at the end of Sunday, will get the chance to quarterback a 7-on-7 team that features Carolina commit MarShawn Lloyd and major targets Tank Bigsby and Jaheim Bell, a Florida commit.
• Running backs Lloyd and Bigsby unite - South Carolina fans hope that MarShawn Lloyd and Tank Bigsby will unite at the college level. They'll get a preview of the two as teammates this week when the top running backs will compete on the same 7-on-7 team at The Opening. Lloyd, who is already committed to South Carolina, is considered the No. 6 running back and No. 34 overall prospect in his class. Bigsby, a top overall target for the Gamecocks, is ranked the No. 29 overall prospect and top player at the "athlete" position. This week's festivities will allow the two to hang out for the first time. It's a safe bet that the South Carolina program will be a topic of conversation.
• Florida commit hangs with Gamecocks - Doty, Lloyd and South Carolina offensive line commit Issiah Walker will surely put on their recruiting hats while in Texas and Bigsby isn't the only prospect they'll be targeting. High three-star tight end Jaheim Bell, a Florida commitment who took an official to South Carolina in June, is also set to compete on Doty and Lloyd's 7-on-7 unit. Despite Bell's pledge to Florida, South Carolina has given the playmaker plenty to think about and is looking to flip him to the Gamecocks.
• Also see: Complete list of USC commits, targets competing in Texas
– Wes Mitchell
3. This, that, and the other
MLB: Merrifield headed to All-Star Game - Kansas City Royal outfielder and former Gamecock Whit Merrifield is headed to his first-ever MLB All-Star Game. (link)
Men's Tennis: Gamecock playing in Wimbledon - USC's Paul Jubb will be matched against Joao Sousa of Portugal in the first round of the 2019 Wimbledon Championships. Sousa is the No. 66 ranked player in the world. (link)
Football Recruiting: Who leads for Tisdol? - One day it's Auburn, then the next it's South Carolina. The talented linebacker out of Rochelle, Ga., has almost committed at least once in recent weeks and he is likely to end the recruiting process later this summer. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: Stokes breaks down South Carolina offer - Hammond running back C.J. Stokes has been on the Gamecock football staff's radar for some time. Recently, things were turned up a notch when the 2022 prospect picked up an offer from South Carolina. (subscription)
Football Recruiting: 2021 four-star LB Junior Colson talks Tennessee, Michigan, South Carolina - The latest with a big prospect in the 2021 class. (subscription)
Men's Basketball Recruiting: P.J. Hall visit, more in-state recruiting notes - It's been a busy time for the basketball program with the Gamecocks working to nail down their 2020 class and get a jump start on the 2021 and 2022 classes as well. (link)
Men's Basketball: How the Gamecocks landed McCreary, Henry - Frank Martin shares behind-the-scenes details of the two bigs' recruitment. (link)
Men's Basketball: Gamecocks announce new numbers, weight changes - A few guys gained some good weight, too. (link)
Baseball: Bowen sees potential with South Carolina next season - As soon as Bryant Bowen put his name in the transfer portal almost 30 schools were lined up, but one quickly rose to the top. (link)
Baseball: Commitment agrees to terms with pro team - One of USC's 2019 signees won't make it to school. (link)
Baseball: Wes Clarke named summer league all-star - The rising sophomore is thriving this summer. (link)
Baseball: Kerry earns another honor - Brett Kerry has been named a first-team Freshman All-American by D1Baseball. (link)
Men's Soccer: 25 Gamecocks named to C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll - All 25 players on the 2018 South Carolina men's soccer roster were named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll (3.0 GPA or higher) for the 2018-19 academic year. (link)
Softball: Krupit, national team set for remaining summer schedule - USC's Kassidy Krupit and the 2019 U-19 United States Junior Women's National Team return stateside for the remaining portion of the summer schedule starting July 1 in Columbus, Ga. (link)
General: South Carolina earns top-25 finish in directors’ cup standings - USC finished No. 22 in the final 2018-19 Learfield IMG Directors' Cup Division I Final Standings. The 22nd place finish is fourth in school history and the fifth time in 26 years that Carolina has finished in the top 25. (link)
Gamecock Success Week: Wrapping up a historic decade - As the second decade of the 21st century comes to a close after this fall, it's pretty amazing to see just how great the last 10 seasons have been for South Carolina Athletics. (link)
The latest: South Carolina Gamecocks football recruiting news - Will Muschamp and the football program continues its pursuit of a strong 2020 recruiting class as the month of July approaches. Catch up on the very latest Gamecock football recruiting news in this feature. (link)
– Jackson Fields
4. This Date in Gamecock History
July 1, 2008 – Steve Spurrier's staff received two commitments for the 2009 class on July 1, 2008, as fullback Matt Coffee and defensive lineman Aldrick Fordham pledged to become Gamecocks.
- Coffee, listed as an athlete by Rivals, was rated a four-star recruit, the No. 19 athlete nationally and the No. 57 player in Florida. He had offers from Mississippi State and Ole Miss elsewhere in the SEC.
- Fordham, a three-star defensive end, was listed as the No. 25 player in South Carolina and No. 47 weakside defensive end by Rivals. Fordham's only other major offer was Tennessee.
- Due to a torn ACL suffered as a senior in high school, Coffee didn't join the Gamecocks until 2010 and played in 20 games on special teams his first two seasons, making one special teams tackle against Mississippi State in 2011. Unfortunately, he also suffered a torn ACL on kickoff coverage in that game, and later suffered another knee injury trying to return. Coffee went on medical hardship at that point, but did earn his degree and graduated from USC in May 2013.
- Fordham would be a key part of the defensive line rotation over his career, starting six games in 2011 and recording 5.5 sacks in 2012. Four of his five sacks forced punts as they came on third down and the fifth came in the Outback Bowl win over Michigan when he sacked Devin Gardner for a 12-yard loss. Fordham signed a free agent contract with the St. Louis Rams after his USC career.
5. Birthdays!
• Bennett Swygert – As a high school senior in 2000, Swygert was named all-state and played in the Shrine Bowl, but also suffered the first of a series of knee injuries that would eventually short circuit his career. Swygert waited a year to enroll and heal his knee, then redshirted in 2002. He saw some playing time as a redshirt freshman while backing up Dondrial Pinkins. His best game was a 4-for-5 passing game against Georgia that included a 37-yard touchdown pass to Demetris Summers. Following the 2003 season, Swygert transferred to Western Carolina, where he worked as the starter in 2004 and 2006. Knee and shoulder injuries kept him out all of 2005. After graduation he worked as the quarterback coach at Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston from 2007 to 2010 and then took over as the running backs coach at Newberry in 2011. Swygert took over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2012, remaining in that role through 2018. January 2019 saw Swygert take over as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at S.C. State.
• Ebony Jones (women's basketball/guard, 2004-08)
• Perry Phillips (football/linebacker, 1977-78)
– John Parker, gamecockarchives.com
6. ⌚ Key Events (Countdown)
• July 11 – Baseball: Prospect camp (10 days)
• July 15 – SEC Media Days, Day 1 (14)
• July 16 – SEC Media Days, Day 2 (15)
• July 17 – SEC Media Days, Day 3 (16)
• July 18 – SEC Media Days, Day 4 (17)
• July 18 – Baseball: Prospect camp (17)
• July 20 – Football: Ladies Clinic (19)
• Aug. 1 – Football: Media Day (31)
• Aug. 17 – Baseball: Elite prospect camp (47)
• Aug. 22 – My Carolina Sports Preview (52)
• Aug. 22 – Carolina Calls feat. Muschamp (52)
• Aug. 31 – Football: Gamecocks vs UNC (61)
• Nov. 13 – Basketball: Early signing period (135)
• Dec. 18 – Football: Early signing period (170)
• Feb. 5 – Football: Regular signing period (219)
7. Newest Podcast: Camp, Commitment Recap
Gamecock Central football and recruiting insiders Chris Clark and Wes Mitchell join host Pearson Fowler on Another Carolina Podcast. Topics on this episode include:
- Catching up on three South Carolina commits since our last show: OL Vershon Lee, DB Dominick Hill and TE Nick Muse. The scoop on why the Gamecocks took a transfer tight end.
- The latest on two official visitors who South Carolina hosted this past weekend, wide receiver Deajuan McDougle and DB Joey Hunter.
- Is 2021 quarterback Colten Gauthier already the one to watch for the Gamecocks in that class?
- Who impressed at camp so far and what has stood out to the Gamecock Central staff.
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
