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*** Florida’s Dominick Hill, in the last several months, emerged as a major priority target for the Gamecocks at defensive back. The Orlando product made two overnight visits to Columbia this calendar year that helped put the Gamecock staff into a favorable position.
Hill has been mulling making a choice at the end of June or sometime in August. While that’s still not hammered out at this point, he does have his first couple official visits on the books. South Carolina gets the first crack, and that visit will take place the weekend of May 31. That, of course, is shaping up to be a weekend in which multiple uncommitted visitors will make their official visits to USC.
There has not been a lot of traction to date with Hill and Missouri, but the Tigers are also slated to land an official now as well. That’s slated for the weekend of June 14. There have been some other programs heavily involved here such as Louisville, Miami, and UCF, but everyone is looking up at the Gamecocks.
*** To put a bow on the commitment of Mohamed Kaba, I’ll reiterate that South Carolina’s staff did not know until he slipped on the Gamecock hat that things were falling its way. It’s become rare in the media world to be unsure of a prospect’s intentions leading into a press conference, but it’s exceptionally rare for college coaches to be in the dark. Chalk it up to a nice surprise for USC.
This is one the staff is certainly fired up to get; USC believes that Kaba is a big-time football player who’s physical, tough, and talented. Muschamp, area recruiter Kyle Krantz, and position coach Coleman Hutzler worked the situation until the end and it paid off here to beat out NC State, which was a longtime factor and appeared to be the frontrunner. The week before the announcement, sources on both sides believed NC State was the more likely pick, although Kaba not definitively stating his intentions left some gray area. At the end of the day, South Carolina’s facilities and coaching style really helped to win out.
*** Let’s stick with linebacker for a moment – South Carolina’s still locked in another recruiting battle for a priority target, this one with Auburn. Georgia’s Desmond Tisdol still has the Tigers on top for right now in a race that’s see-sawed back and forth several times already.
The plan is for Tisdol to make some official visits this summer, and it’s a certainty that USC and Auburn will both land one. This one remains tight, but Auburn has held its latest edge here for a little bit longer than usual. This summer will determine whether USC can score another come-from-behind victory.
*** Expect another linebacker prospect, Alabama’s Allen Merrick, who recently scored an offer from the Gamecocks, to be on campus this summer. We’ll be watching for him to make an appearance at camp to work out for the Gamecock staff.
*** And finally, on to Georgia’s Lenneth Whitehead. He’s a prospect who’s been intrigued by his conversations by the South Carolina staff but has just not been to campus yet for a visit.
This recruitment has been made much more intriguing by the fact that Georgia is taking a small linebacker class this year; should the Dawgs have pushed here, there’s a good chance it would be over. Yet Auburn and South Carolina have made a significant play, and should each score a visit this summer. Whitehead told GamecockCentral.com recently that he’s felt the love from the South Carolina coaches and feels like a priority; he just wants to get on campus and see if it’s a fit.
Nothing is on the books yet in the way of a date, but things should advance to that point. Stay tuned.
*** Finally, let’s go back to South Carolina’s pursuit of Tavien Feaster. At the risk of already sounding like a broken record, multiple sources say there’s a legitimate chance this one happens. Unless a wrench gets thrown in things, we would not expect Feaster’s decision-making process to drag out for weeks and weeks. The most likely course is for him to schedule a few visits to interested schools, and go from there.
Several programs have been reported as reaching out to Feaster, and two have been mentioned specifically to us in our conversations: Texas and Auburn. It’s not believed that the Longhorns are making a serious push as of now, although an inquiry was made. Auburn is a program that seems to hold some intrigue, but the Tigers may not be as attractive to someone in Feaster’s situation with the running back depth chart as well as the offensive line.
There’s a lot to like about the situation in Columbia for Feaster; the fact that USC does not have a back that’s taken the reigns of the number one position, the quality of the offensive line that’s been built, the opportunity to stay close to home and play major college football against a slate of loaded competition.
*** Thanks for reading, and we appreciate you being a member of GamecockCentral.com!
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Today's Insider Report is brought to you by Cornerstone Financial Management. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice offered through Good Life Advisors, LLC, a registered investment advisor. Cornerstone Financial Management and Good Life Advisors, LLC are separate entities from LPL Financial.
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