Four-star wide receiver target Josh Vann recently told UGASports.com that South Carolina led Georgia for his services after the dust had settled from his most recent trip to Columbia this summer.
One thing we mentioned after that visit was that Georgia was hoping to get Vann’s mother back on campus afterwards, and that trip did end up taking place. However, I’m still confident based on everything I’ve heard (and Vann’s interview with UGASports.com took place after that visit to Athens as well) that South Carolina is the front runner for Vann.
All of Vann’s key family members really like South Carolina and are on board, and Vann himself has a very high comfort level with Columbia and the USC staff. Bryan McClendon has done really excellent work here. It’s a situation we’ll continue to track even after Vann verbally commits somewhere because neither school will give up here, but USC is in pole position. Look for a decision to come in the next couple of weeks, most likely.
I’ve received several questions recently regarding overall recruiting numbers, countbacks, and the like lately and wanted to address some of those the best I could.
The Gamecocks took a full boat of 25 in the 2017 class, but Tyreek Johnson was a grayshirt and offensive lineman Jordon Carty is not yet cleared. Anytime a player goes on scholarship for the first time, it’s deemed an “initial counter”. That initial counter number is limited to 25 per academic year, and a player generally counts towards the year in which he first was placed on scholarship. There are exceptions such as the one for midyear enrollees.
Walk-on Steven Montac, who proved himself quite valuable for the Gamecocks in his first season with the program, was placed on scholarship and thus used a counter in the 2017 class. If Carty qualifies and subsequently enrolls, that’s a full 25 for 2017. If not, USC would have an initial from that class.
In 2018, USC has 18 guys on the commitment list right now and Tyreek Johnson is considered a member as well. Ty’Son Williams will need to count towards 2018 after enrolling last year, paying his own way for a season, then going on scholarship. That obviously leaves very limited spots in 2018, and one of the questions we’ve received is how USC’s staff will handle it. Quite honestly, I’m not sure yet, although there are many top targets that the staff won’t be in position to turn down going forward. As for any other movement in the recruiting class, that’s not something we’re going to speculate on. As always, we’ll keep everyone posted with happenings in recruiting as best as we can, as soon as we find out those happenings.
Defensive back is one position that remains a priority for South Carolina in terms of a top target or two remaining on the board. I caught up recently with four-star Georgia cornerback Jaycee Horn briefly and he told me that Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee remain tied at the top of his list. Each of those schools has taken a turn atop his leader board during his recruitment. Tennessee has had the most momentum lately, but it’s the recruiting dead period and Horn plans on seeing South Carolina (at least) before he renders his decision. As for when that choice could come, Horn said he’s putting no firm timeline on it and no rush, either.
We are tracking junior college defensive back Saivion Smith, a former Rivals100 member and LSU Tiger, as well. He plans on taking all five official visits, as he recently told us, and South Carolina could be a potential destination sometime this season.
Two other defensive backs that came up with respect to the Gamecocks during the summer were Jermaine McMillian and Jakorey Hawkins. I’d categorize both of those as “wait and sees” at this point as the cycle continues to play out the next several months.
One thing we mentioned after that visit was that Georgia was hoping to get Vann’s mother back on campus afterwards, and that trip did end up taking place. However, I’m still confident based on everything I’ve heard (and Vann’s interview with UGASports.com took place after that visit to Athens as well) that South Carolina is the front runner for Vann.
All of Vann’s key family members really like South Carolina and are on board, and Vann himself has a very high comfort level with Columbia and the USC staff. Bryan McClendon has done really excellent work here. It’s a situation we’ll continue to track even after Vann verbally commits somewhere because neither school will give up here, but USC is in pole position. Look for a decision to come in the next couple of weeks, most likely.
I’ve received several questions recently regarding overall recruiting numbers, countbacks, and the like lately and wanted to address some of those the best I could.
The Gamecocks took a full boat of 25 in the 2017 class, but Tyreek Johnson was a grayshirt and offensive lineman Jordon Carty is not yet cleared. Anytime a player goes on scholarship for the first time, it’s deemed an “initial counter”. That initial counter number is limited to 25 per academic year, and a player generally counts towards the year in which he first was placed on scholarship. There are exceptions such as the one for midyear enrollees.
Walk-on Steven Montac, who proved himself quite valuable for the Gamecocks in his first season with the program, was placed on scholarship and thus used a counter in the 2017 class. If Carty qualifies and subsequently enrolls, that’s a full 25 for 2017. If not, USC would have an initial from that class.
In 2018, USC has 18 guys on the commitment list right now and Tyreek Johnson is considered a member as well. Ty’Son Williams will need to count towards 2018 after enrolling last year, paying his own way for a season, then going on scholarship. That obviously leaves very limited spots in 2018, and one of the questions we’ve received is how USC’s staff will handle it. Quite honestly, I’m not sure yet, although there are many top targets that the staff won’t be in position to turn down going forward. As for any other movement in the recruiting class, that’s not something we’re going to speculate on. As always, we’ll keep everyone posted with happenings in recruiting as best as we can, as soon as we find out those happenings.
Defensive back is one position that remains a priority for South Carolina in terms of a top target or two remaining on the board. I caught up recently with four-star Georgia cornerback Jaycee Horn briefly and he told me that Alabama, South Carolina, and Tennessee remain tied at the top of his list. Each of those schools has taken a turn atop his leader board during his recruitment. Tennessee has had the most momentum lately, but it’s the recruiting dead period and Horn plans on seeing South Carolina (at least) before he renders his decision. As for when that choice could come, Horn said he’s putting no firm timeline on it and no rush, either.
We are tracking junior college defensive back Saivion Smith, a former Rivals100 member and LSU Tiger, as well. He plans on taking all five official visits, as he recently told us, and South Carolina could be a potential destination sometime this season.
Two other defensive backs that came up with respect to the Gamecocks during the summer were Jermaine McMillian and Jakorey Hawkins. I’d categorize both of those as “wait and sees” at this point as the cycle continues to play out the next several months.
