For a variety of reasons, the recruitment of four-star defensive tackle Rick Sandidge has had more and more attention drawn to it as the process has continued. One factor driving that is that Sandidge upped his stock during the spring when he turned in very strong performances at multiple camps, including most recently the Rivals Five-Star Challenge in Indianapolis. Another: His mother, a USC alumnus, has become more vocal on social media regarding her son’s recruitment.
One such example came on Wednesday, when Sandidge’s mother posted a statement to Twitter saying “He should write the playbook on recruiting” with what appeared to be some symbols that could have passed for “Spurs Up” signs. If anyone who saw it suspected South Carolina and Will Muschamp, we believe those folks would be correct. As we have noted, Will Muschamp has been heavily involved in this recruitment. That’s something that has certainly been noticed by Sandidge and those around him. The prioritization of Sandidge by the schools recruiting him is something that will weigh into the decision here, and is one of multiple factors driving the Gamecocks’ chances.
Sandidge was due to leave on Wednesday night to go visit Michigan and Ohio State, with a stop in Penn State also possible. That’s likely the last round of visits until the season begins; Sandidge is expected to take some official visits. The two programs we hear the most here are North Carolina and South Carolina, and we give the Gamecocks a very good shot.
While he has not drawn a lot of attention on the recruiting trail, Georgia safety Jonathan Gipson has remained firmly in South Carolina’s crosshairs on the recruiting trail. The Mill Creek product is wrapping up a three-day trip to Clemson for its camp, and there is a good chance he’s back in South Carolina this week to attend USC’s camp. I’d still give USC the best odds of ultimately landing him.
Another defensive lineman that South Carolina continues to pursue is Upstate native and current IMG Academy product Stephon Wynn. This one has been pegged for a while as a Georgia/South Carolina race, but there are some signs that USC has picked up some steam as of late. Wynn’s family, who lives in the Upstate with both parents being Clemson graduates, appear to have become on board with the notion of Wynn attending South Carolina. The staff has done a good job with Wynn and the family and staying in-state is certainly an attraction. I would not say this one is over by any means, but Wynn’s recent trip to Columbia was a productive one. Alabama is another that we continue to hear as communicating a lot with Wynn, and because of how much Georgia has been in the race, I would not be ready to totally rule out the Dawgs yet. Whereas a few weeks ago I would have pegged Georgia over South Carolina, I think USC has made it a lot closer and perhaps nabbed the overall edge.
Speaking of Georgia, Wes mentioned another battle between the Dawgs and Gamecocks in his Wednesday edition of Carolina Confidential, that being the pursuit of four-star safety Trey Dean. For much of the process, that one has been between Georgia and South Carolina, and USC has indeed held the edge at various points. Wes pointed out that he’s hearing that Georgia is the more likely destination, and I’ve heard the same. Dean, who is slated to announce on July 31, visited Texas a while back too, and I’ve been told that South Carolina’s position does not appear to be what it once was. USC has been working on getting him back to campus next month in advance of his decision, and if that happens then perhaps USC can make up more ground.
Channing Tindall was extremely impressive in USC’s drill work during the Gamecocks’ Wednesday session, and it says something about the four-star defender that he chose to put in some hard work despite him already being a huge priority for the staff. Tindall was joined by his father on the trip and we’re told that Tindall and his family are completely sold on the South Carolina staff in terms of their ability to develop. From here, Tindall will likely continue taking visits during the summer, and the family will take a deeper dive into academic support, campus life, and the like. There was a good amount of pro-South Carolina buzz around Tindall coming from the Rivals Five-Star Challenge that he attended in Indianapolis. Auburn, Florida, and Georgia will continue to battle for his services up until decision time, which is likely going to be a few games into his senior season.
Recently offered in-state running back Michel Dukes was back in Columbia to hang out on Wednesday, as some of his teammates from First Baptist Academy worked out during camp. We’re told that Dukes is visiting Duke this weekend and that Georgia’s staff has also shown interest as of late. South Carolina put itself into good shape here with its long-time pursuit and of course, the scholarship. Dukes will not prolong the process, as he’s currently eyeing a decision after his junior season. However, it would not be a huge shock if it came earlier. As one person close to Dukes pointed out to us: “When you know, you know.”
During Wednesday’s camp session, a handful of prospects from West Forsyth out of North Carolina rolled through to Columbia to put in some work at USC’s camp. The group included 2019 defensive back Jaquan McMillian, who has held a verbal offer from the Gamecocks for a while. McMillian checked out the facilities on campus and was told by the staff that he had some things to work on but that he did well during drill work and the one-on-ones.
One prospect not with the West Forsyth crew was five-star BUCK candidate KJ Henry; we were told he is at the beach with his family. Henry has been pegged in our reports for a while as one that, while USC may not garner a lot of buzz with him, there is room for upward mobility. Here in June with plenty of time to go until the projected early enrollee announces a decision, that is still the case. Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State have all been pegged as front-runners and at times there has been good reason for those notions. Yet South Carolina remains in the race.
One such example came on Wednesday, when Sandidge’s mother posted a statement to Twitter saying “He should write the playbook on recruiting” with what appeared to be some symbols that could have passed for “Spurs Up” signs. If anyone who saw it suspected South Carolina and Will Muschamp, we believe those folks would be correct. As we have noted, Will Muschamp has been heavily involved in this recruitment. That’s something that has certainly been noticed by Sandidge and those around him. The prioritization of Sandidge by the schools recruiting him is something that will weigh into the decision here, and is one of multiple factors driving the Gamecocks’ chances.
Sandidge was due to leave on Wednesday night to go visit Michigan and Ohio State, with a stop in Penn State also possible. That’s likely the last round of visits until the season begins; Sandidge is expected to take some official visits. The two programs we hear the most here are North Carolina and South Carolina, and we give the Gamecocks a very good shot.
While he has not drawn a lot of attention on the recruiting trail, Georgia safety Jonathan Gipson has remained firmly in South Carolina’s crosshairs on the recruiting trail. The Mill Creek product is wrapping up a three-day trip to Clemson for its camp, and there is a good chance he’s back in South Carolina this week to attend USC’s camp. I’d still give USC the best odds of ultimately landing him.
Another defensive lineman that South Carolina continues to pursue is Upstate native and current IMG Academy product Stephon Wynn. This one has been pegged for a while as a Georgia/South Carolina race, but there are some signs that USC has picked up some steam as of late. Wynn’s family, who lives in the Upstate with both parents being Clemson graduates, appear to have become on board with the notion of Wynn attending South Carolina. The staff has done a good job with Wynn and the family and staying in-state is certainly an attraction. I would not say this one is over by any means, but Wynn’s recent trip to Columbia was a productive one. Alabama is another that we continue to hear as communicating a lot with Wynn, and because of how much Georgia has been in the race, I would not be ready to totally rule out the Dawgs yet. Whereas a few weeks ago I would have pegged Georgia over South Carolina, I think USC has made it a lot closer and perhaps nabbed the overall edge.
Speaking of Georgia, Wes mentioned another battle between the Dawgs and Gamecocks in his Wednesday edition of Carolina Confidential, that being the pursuit of four-star safety Trey Dean. For much of the process, that one has been between Georgia and South Carolina, and USC has indeed held the edge at various points. Wes pointed out that he’s hearing that Georgia is the more likely destination, and I’ve heard the same. Dean, who is slated to announce on July 31, visited Texas a while back too, and I’ve been told that South Carolina’s position does not appear to be what it once was. USC has been working on getting him back to campus next month in advance of his decision, and if that happens then perhaps USC can make up more ground.
Channing Tindall was extremely impressive in USC’s drill work during the Gamecocks’ Wednesday session, and it says something about the four-star defender that he chose to put in some hard work despite him already being a huge priority for the staff. Tindall was joined by his father on the trip and we’re told that Tindall and his family are completely sold on the South Carolina staff in terms of their ability to develop. From here, Tindall will likely continue taking visits during the summer, and the family will take a deeper dive into academic support, campus life, and the like. There was a good amount of pro-South Carolina buzz around Tindall coming from the Rivals Five-Star Challenge that he attended in Indianapolis. Auburn, Florida, and Georgia will continue to battle for his services up until decision time, which is likely going to be a few games into his senior season.
Recently offered in-state running back Michel Dukes was back in Columbia to hang out on Wednesday, as some of his teammates from First Baptist Academy worked out during camp. We’re told that Dukes is visiting Duke this weekend and that Georgia’s staff has also shown interest as of late. South Carolina put itself into good shape here with its long-time pursuit and of course, the scholarship. Dukes will not prolong the process, as he’s currently eyeing a decision after his junior season. However, it would not be a huge shock if it came earlier. As one person close to Dukes pointed out to us: “When you know, you know.”
During Wednesday’s camp session, a handful of prospects from West Forsyth out of North Carolina rolled through to Columbia to put in some work at USC’s camp. The group included 2019 defensive back Jaquan McMillian, who has held a verbal offer from the Gamecocks for a while. McMillian checked out the facilities on campus and was told by the staff that he had some things to work on but that he did well during drill work and the one-on-ones.
One prospect not with the West Forsyth crew was five-star BUCK candidate KJ Henry; we were told he is at the beach with his family. Henry has been pegged in our reports for a while as one that, while USC may not garner a lot of buzz with him, there is room for upward mobility. Here in June with plenty of time to go until the projected early enrollee announces a decision, that is still the case. Alabama, Clemson, Georgia, and Ohio State have all been pegged as front-runners and at times there has been good reason for those notions. Yet South Carolina remains in the race.
