USC’s Friday camp was the largest of the Will Muschamp era at South Carolina, with over 550 prospects in attendance. That was followed up by a “Spurs Up Day” recruiting event that was heavy on both underclassman and 2018 key targets. As has been documented, the staff exited the weekend with three pledges in the 2018 class and its first for 2019. Beyond that, some work was also done to make moves for other need prospects. More on that in a bit.
One thing to keep in mind now in the 2018 class is that spots are filling. USC is not in position to turn down really good players that can help, but the numbers are not unlimited. As has been the case in the past, some of the prospects that USC has committed at certain spots are actually higher on the staff’s board than those with more offers or more stars.
Case in point: The Gamecocks’ three new 2018 class pledges that resulted from the weekend. USC is very happy to have landed wide receivers Tyquan Johnson and Ronald Jamison as well as offensive lineman Jesus Gibbs. Johnson is a 6-foot-3 receiver who can run high 4.4, low 4.5 in the 40, is long, and can really jump. He also showed strong ball skills at the Gamecocks’ camp last summer and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon is plenty familiar with him, having a long-standing relationship. Jamison is someone that the staff has been tracking a while, but still essentially came out of nowhere with his camp workout on Friday. There were also some solid defensive backs who were participating in Friday’s camp, and none of them could approach covering Jamison, who also put up a 4.47 hand-timed 40, a 39-inch vertical, and a 4-flat shuttle during the testing portion. At his size and with those numbers, it’s not easy to find guys like that. USC made the decision very quickly to offer him and after that it was only a matter of time before he committed. I was told USC believes Jamison could play corner as well, but the plan is to start him out at receiver.
Speaking of Gibbs, when he pledged to the Gamecocks over the weekend, the reaction from some fans was: “who?” I can tell you that Gibbs has been on offensive line coach Eric Wolford’s radar for quite some time. After working out for the staff, the staff was very impressed with Gibbs’ athleticism. He’s not quite the 6-foot-4 that he’s listed, but he’s someone that USC feels could develop into a very good player on the interior of the line.
Two other 2018 offensive line targets were both in town, both four-star prospects, for Spurs Up Day in Jovaughn Gwyn and Dylan Wonnum. Gwyn visited all three of his finalists (Duke, NC State, and USC) from Friday until Saturday. NC State and South Carolina have been the frontrunners here, and that’s likely the case after that round of visits. The Charlotte product has been conflicted on his choice and that’s led to him being unsure of when he will render a final choice. Ideally, he will do it prior to his senior season, but how long he ends up waiting could end up being a storyline to watch here.
As for Wonnum: Again, his comments to the media when he does give them reveal essentially nothing. What we do know is that it’s more likely he announces a choice sometime later in the year, possibly after his season. While he does not claim any leader or leaders at this time, the sense we get walking away from this weekend is that there’s reason to continue feeling quite good about USC’s chances.
An in-state two-way lineman was on hand Saturday as well in Conway’s Raiqwon O’Neal. USC offered last month as a defensive lineman and it was an offer that caught O’Neal’s attention. Similar to Wonnum, O’Neal does not say a great deal in his interviews with the media. He told us afterwards that South Carolina was “up there” for him and that he’s still eyeing a decision sometime in August. Among those who closely follow recruiting and evaluations, the Gamecocks’ offer here was applauded. O’Neal has big potential on either side of the ball because of his size and ability to move.
USC remains in good position with Georgia safety Jonathan Gipson, who was on hand over the weekend and should announce a choice in the near future.
Charlotte lineman Jordan Davis, who in my opinion could best project as an offensive lineman in college, was in town for Spurs Up Day on Saturday. Davis is really a mystery man, as he does not communicate a lot even with college coaches involved in his recruitment. He’s a guy we’ll continue to track, but it’s difficult to extract any information on what he’s thinking. USC is keeping him warm, as much as is possible in a situation like that.
Four-star athlete Matthew Hill was in Columbia on Friday, touring campus and hanging out during the Gamecocks’ final camp date of the summer. Hill was scheduled to see long-time frontrunner Auburn the following day but missed that trip due to illness. The Georgia product is a very good football player who could play on either side of the ball in college. With three prospects on the commitment list capable of playing wide receiver, and an edge that Auburn has held here regardless, the belief is things are proceeding more towards Hill not ultimately being part of the class at USC.
That leads us to the next prospect worth discussion, and that’s Georgia’s Josh Vann. Although he noted post-visit that things are 50/50 between Georgia and South Carolina, he did seem to drop a hint in our conversation with him that the Gamecocks have an edge. Based on everything picked up from this weekend, that’s certainly the case. Vann was joined by both of his parents, and it’s worth noting that they have been with him each time he’s visited Columbia (three visits overall). Georgia is working hard to get a return visit from the family as early as this weekend; it’s unclear as of this writing whether or not that will happen. My understanding is that both parents seem to prefer South Carolina as of now. There is a high comfort level with Vann and his family in Columbia, which is driving the Gamecocks’ lead along with other factors. Those include Vann’s relationship with Bryan McClendon and an opportunity he sees to get on the field early.
Vann’s plan is to render a decision before his senior season gets going. Just to get out in front of it, this one will not be over no matter what happens then. If USC holds on and nabs a commitment, Georgia will not be giving up anytime soon. Yet it would still be a significant recruiting win over a coveted Dawg prospect.
He was not among the visitors over the weekend, but the Trey Dean saga continues to be an interesting one. On Sunday, Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons reported that Dean is no longer going to commit on July 31 and essentially has a recruitment that is wide open. I can tell you that on Saturday afternoon, I spoke to Dean and he was still saying he would commit on the 31st. He noted that Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee were all in it at the time. I must say, even over the phone he appeared to be unsure of those choices. From that standpoint, it’s not much of a surprise that he opted to open things up the next day. Based on the feedback I’ve gotten there’s no clear frontrunner at this time.
There are some high-profile, highly-ranked guys that USC’s staff wants to add – and needs to – for the class to end up being a success. The feedback I’ve gotten from so many folks is that USC’s progress on the field in 2017 is a key, and that will also includes some notches in the win column.
Channing Tindall returned to campus later on Saturday, arriving late after making trips to FSU (Thursday) and Florida (Friday). USC remains heavily in this race, with the feedback from Tindall quite positive regarding USC’s chances. It’s a situation where the right things are being said, yet there’s a notion that the Gamecocks will have to wait until early or mid-September, when Tindall decides, to see a resolution. It would be quite helpful if USC’s off to a good start on the field at that point.
With the commitment of 2019 Georgia linebacker Ahdarrious Gee out of Crisp County High, USC’s focus will turn to his teammate, defensive back Jammie Robinson. Interestingly, Robinson made a post to his Twitter page on Sunday night intimating that he has one place on his mind right now. Robinson worked out at one of USC’s camps in June and then followed that up with a trip to Spurs Up Day on Saturday. While South Carolina has worked itself into a good spot, possibly rising over longtime favorite Alabama for now, Robinson tells GamecockCentral.com that he’s not planning on announcing a choice until after his season.
At the tight end position, it’s entirely possible that South Carolina does not end up signing one in the 2018 class. The Gamecocks are still communicating with Georgia’s Tommy Tremble as well as junior college product Dominick Wood-Anderson. Tremble, the son of former UGA DB Greg Tremble, visited USC last month and worked out at the Gamecocks’ camp. My understanding is he’s not a lock for UGA; Notre Dame and Tennessee are major factors and USC’s in the mix as well. Wood-Anderson visited perceived favorite Alabama over the weekend and is a former teammate of DB signee Keisean Nixon. He may be one to watch for a visit in the future.
Four-star defensive tackle Rick Sandidge’s visit went very well according to everyone I’ve spoken with, and USC was able to increase its stock even further in the eyes of his family and Sandidge himself. That’s good news for USC considering its position heading into the trip, which was already fairly favorable. Sandidge will likely take official visits and not make a decision until December at the minimum, so this will be a long process. It’s one USC is prepared to wait out, and I’m told by sources close to the family that it’s Will Muschamp and the Gamecock staff that have done the best job in recruiting him on a day-to-day basis. Georgia and South Carolina are the main two to watch, but USC has several edges on the Dawgs right now.
Finally, let’s talk Dax Hollifield. The four-star backer visited USC on Friday and Virginia Tech on Saturday as expected. While we have not been able to catch up with him for any detailed comments, he did tell us that it was a good visit, and that he was glad to have made it down to Columbia. USC’s position with Hollifield is not what it was back in the spring, when quite honestly it looked like he could have been on the verge of pulling the trigger. Yet that could be more of a product of him not being ready yet and being conflicted on his choice, rather than any feelings towards the Gamecocks. As Hollifield has noted, he’s paying attention to the recruiting classes of his suitors and he’ll certainly be watching the on-field progress of those schools as well. For USC, the issue with getting some other high-profile guys in the boat is that many of their targets on the defensive side of the ball are waiting until later in the process to decide. Yet, that’s also the case with Hollifield so it may not make a great deal of difference.
Hollifield has good feelings about USC each time he departs campus, but the same could be said for Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Look for him to make official visits to those places, as well as Stanford and FSU during/after the season.
One thing to keep in mind now in the 2018 class is that spots are filling. USC is not in position to turn down really good players that can help, but the numbers are not unlimited. As has been the case in the past, some of the prospects that USC has committed at certain spots are actually higher on the staff’s board than those with more offers or more stars.
Case in point: The Gamecocks’ three new 2018 class pledges that resulted from the weekend. USC is very happy to have landed wide receivers Tyquan Johnson and Ronald Jamison as well as offensive lineman Jesus Gibbs. Johnson is a 6-foot-3 receiver who can run high 4.4, low 4.5 in the 40, is long, and can really jump. He also showed strong ball skills at the Gamecocks’ camp last summer and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon is plenty familiar with him, having a long-standing relationship. Jamison is someone that the staff has been tracking a while, but still essentially came out of nowhere with his camp workout on Friday. There were also some solid defensive backs who were participating in Friday’s camp, and none of them could approach covering Jamison, who also put up a 4.47 hand-timed 40, a 39-inch vertical, and a 4-flat shuttle during the testing portion. At his size and with those numbers, it’s not easy to find guys like that. USC made the decision very quickly to offer him and after that it was only a matter of time before he committed. I was told USC believes Jamison could play corner as well, but the plan is to start him out at receiver.
Speaking of Gibbs, when he pledged to the Gamecocks over the weekend, the reaction from some fans was: “who?” I can tell you that Gibbs has been on offensive line coach Eric Wolford’s radar for quite some time. After working out for the staff, the staff was very impressed with Gibbs’ athleticism. He’s not quite the 6-foot-4 that he’s listed, but he’s someone that USC feels could develop into a very good player on the interior of the line.
Two other 2018 offensive line targets were both in town, both four-star prospects, for Spurs Up Day in Jovaughn Gwyn and Dylan Wonnum. Gwyn visited all three of his finalists (Duke, NC State, and USC) from Friday until Saturday. NC State and South Carolina have been the frontrunners here, and that’s likely the case after that round of visits. The Charlotte product has been conflicted on his choice and that’s led to him being unsure of when he will render a final choice. Ideally, he will do it prior to his senior season, but how long he ends up waiting could end up being a storyline to watch here.
As for Wonnum: Again, his comments to the media when he does give them reveal essentially nothing. What we do know is that it’s more likely he announces a choice sometime later in the year, possibly after his season. While he does not claim any leader or leaders at this time, the sense we get walking away from this weekend is that there’s reason to continue feeling quite good about USC’s chances.
An in-state two-way lineman was on hand Saturday as well in Conway’s Raiqwon O’Neal. USC offered last month as a defensive lineman and it was an offer that caught O’Neal’s attention. Similar to Wonnum, O’Neal does not say a great deal in his interviews with the media. He told us afterwards that South Carolina was “up there” for him and that he’s still eyeing a decision sometime in August. Among those who closely follow recruiting and evaluations, the Gamecocks’ offer here was applauded. O’Neal has big potential on either side of the ball because of his size and ability to move.
USC remains in good position with Georgia safety Jonathan Gipson, who was on hand over the weekend and should announce a choice in the near future.
Charlotte lineman Jordan Davis, who in my opinion could best project as an offensive lineman in college, was in town for Spurs Up Day on Saturday. Davis is really a mystery man, as he does not communicate a lot even with college coaches involved in his recruitment. He’s a guy we’ll continue to track, but it’s difficult to extract any information on what he’s thinking. USC is keeping him warm, as much as is possible in a situation like that.
Four-star athlete Matthew Hill was in Columbia on Friday, touring campus and hanging out during the Gamecocks’ final camp date of the summer. Hill was scheduled to see long-time frontrunner Auburn the following day but missed that trip due to illness. The Georgia product is a very good football player who could play on either side of the ball in college. With three prospects on the commitment list capable of playing wide receiver, and an edge that Auburn has held here regardless, the belief is things are proceeding more towards Hill not ultimately being part of the class at USC.
That leads us to the next prospect worth discussion, and that’s Georgia’s Josh Vann. Although he noted post-visit that things are 50/50 between Georgia and South Carolina, he did seem to drop a hint in our conversation with him that the Gamecocks have an edge. Based on everything picked up from this weekend, that’s certainly the case. Vann was joined by both of his parents, and it’s worth noting that they have been with him each time he’s visited Columbia (three visits overall). Georgia is working hard to get a return visit from the family as early as this weekend; it’s unclear as of this writing whether or not that will happen. My understanding is that both parents seem to prefer South Carolina as of now. There is a high comfort level with Vann and his family in Columbia, which is driving the Gamecocks’ lead along with other factors. Those include Vann’s relationship with Bryan McClendon and an opportunity he sees to get on the field early.
Vann’s plan is to render a decision before his senior season gets going. Just to get out in front of it, this one will not be over no matter what happens then. If USC holds on and nabs a commitment, Georgia will not be giving up anytime soon. Yet it would still be a significant recruiting win over a coveted Dawg prospect.
He was not among the visitors over the weekend, but the Trey Dean saga continues to be an interesting one. On Sunday, Rivals.com’s Chad Simmons reported that Dean is no longer going to commit on July 31 and essentially has a recruitment that is wide open. I can tell you that on Saturday afternoon, I spoke to Dean and he was still saying he would commit on the 31st. He noted that Georgia, South Carolina, and Tennessee were all in it at the time. I must say, even over the phone he appeared to be unsure of those choices. From that standpoint, it’s not much of a surprise that he opted to open things up the next day. Based on the feedback I’ve gotten there’s no clear frontrunner at this time.
There are some high-profile, highly-ranked guys that USC’s staff wants to add – and needs to – for the class to end up being a success. The feedback I’ve gotten from so many folks is that USC’s progress on the field in 2017 is a key, and that will also includes some notches in the win column.
Channing Tindall returned to campus later on Saturday, arriving late after making trips to FSU (Thursday) and Florida (Friday). USC remains heavily in this race, with the feedback from Tindall quite positive regarding USC’s chances. It’s a situation where the right things are being said, yet there’s a notion that the Gamecocks will have to wait until early or mid-September, when Tindall decides, to see a resolution. It would be quite helpful if USC’s off to a good start on the field at that point.
With the commitment of 2019 Georgia linebacker Ahdarrious Gee out of Crisp County High, USC’s focus will turn to his teammate, defensive back Jammie Robinson. Interestingly, Robinson made a post to his Twitter page on Sunday night intimating that he has one place on his mind right now. Robinson worked out at one of USC’s camps in June and then followed that up with a trip to Spurs Up Day on Saturday. While South Carolina has worked itself into a good spot, possibly rising over longtime favorite Alabama for now, Robinson tells GamecockCentral.com that he’s not planning on announcing a choice until after his season.
At the tight end position, it’s entirely possible that South Carolina does not end up signing one in the 2018 class. The Gamecocks are still communicating with Georgia’s Tommy Tremble as well as junior college product Dominick Wood-Anderson. Tremble, the son of former UGA DB Greg Tremble, visited USC last month and worked out at the Gamecocks’ camp. My understanding is he’s not a lock for UGA; Notre Dame and Tennessee are major factors and USC’s in the mix as well. Wood-Anderson visited perceived favorite Alabama over the weekend and is a former teammate of DB signee Keisean Nixon. He may be one to watch for a visit in the future.
Four-star defensive tackle Rick Sandidge’s visit went very well according to everyone I’ve spoken with, and USC was able to increase its stock even further in the eyes of his family and Sandidge himself. That’s good news for USC considering its position heading into the trip, which was already fairly favorable. Sandidge will likely take official visits and not make a decision until December at the minimum, so this will be a long process. It’s one USC is prepared to wait out, and I’m told by sources close to the family that it’s Will Muschamp and the Gamecock staff that have done the best job in recruiting him on a day-to-day basis. Georgia and South Carolina are the main two to watch, but USC has several edges on the Dawgs right now.
Finally, let’s talk Dax Hollifield. The four-star backer visited USC on Friday and Virginia Tech on Saturday as expected. While we have not been able to catch up with him for any detailed comments, he did tell us that it was a good visit, and that he was glad to have made it down to Columbia. USC’s position with Hollifield is not what it was back in the spring, when quite honestly it looked like he could have been on the verge of pulling the trigger. Yet that could be more of a product of him not being ready yet and being conflicted on his choice, rather than any feelings towards the Gamecocks. As Hollifield has noted, he’s paying attention to the recruiting classes of his suitors and he’ll certainly be watching the on-field progress of those schools as well. For USC, the issue with getting some other high-profile guys in the boat is that many of their targets on the defensive side of the ball are waiting until later in the process to decide. Yet, that’s also the case with Hollifield so it may not make a great deal of difference.
Hollifield has good feelings about USC each time he departs campus, but the same could be said for Virginia Tech and North Carolina. Look for him to make official visits to those places, as well as Stanford and FSU during/after the season.
