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In this edition, we’ll take a closer look at USC’s remaining targets on the offensive side of the ball in the 2019 class…
Florida’s Jaquaze Sorrells is still out there on USC’s board, although it’s been increasingly difficult to peg what may end up happening here. Ever since he delayed his original August decision timeline in favor of taking more visits, it’s seemed to open things up even more. Alabama, Oregon, and South Carolina are still three programs to watch heavily with Sorrells, but beyond that it’s unclear what his next move may be.
In terms of defensive line recruiting, bear in mind that South Carolina tackle pledge Jahkeem Green is still someone we’re monitoring academically, as he remains in the category of having work to do in that respect.
We are also still tracking Florida four-star linebacker commitment Tyron Hopper out of Roswell. The former Gaffney standout has always been an intriguing talent in terms of his projection to the college level. He has experience playing cornerback in high school but could play safety or grow into a linebacker, the position college coaches believe he will end up playing. There is some family sentiment towards South Carolina here, although for his part Hopper is saying the right things about staying with Florida. Depending on how things go with USC’s numbers and some other factors, we’ll see if Hopper eventually makes his way to Columbia for an official.
Former safety target Jaylen McCollough, a Tennessee commitment, said earlier in the week that an official visit to Knoxville is the only one he has planned.
Florida commitment Jaydon Hill has still had some communication with the Gamecock staff and has talked publicly about making official visits to Texas A&M and South Carolina, but seems fairly firm right now. He’s still someone we’re keeping an eye on at this time.
One of USC’s biggest scores in this recruiting class, JUCO DB DJ Daniel, received a visit earlier in the week from head coach Will Muschamp while he was on the road. The Georgia native picked the Gamecocks in the face of immense pressure to choose the home-state Bulldogs, and there are still some close to him that would like to see him flip to Georgia. So far, Daniel has made all the right moves and said all the right things; he’s proven to be very strong-willed and believes that South Carolina is the right place for him and a spot where he can step in and play right away. At Daniel’s age, he does not need any family member to sign off on his letter of intent when it comes that time in December.
Shilo Sanders, son of NFL great Deion Sanders, made an official visit to USC last weekend for the Texas A&M game and appears to have been picking up a bit of steam on the recruiting trail as of late. Checking in on this situation, I’d call it not very likely that he ends up in the Gamecocks’ 2019 class at this time. USC has some long-time targets it continues to pursue in the defensive backfield.
One of those is Georgia’s Jammie Robinson. As our readers know, Tennessee hired Robinson’s former high school coach, Shelton Felton, away from Chattanooga and put him in an off-field analyst position in Knovxille. At first glance, it appeared to be a cut-and-dry instance of the NCAA’s “individual associated with prospect” rule, which generally means that coaches/trainers/parents of prospects cannot get on-field coaching jobs and then turn around and recruit the student-athlete to the same school for a period of two years before and after the hire.
I’ve gotten some mixed answers as to whether or not there is some sort of workaround that would let Tennessee take Robinson, should that ever put things over the top for the Vols. Recently, I’ve spoken with some sources who are skeptical and don’t see any way Tennessee could make it work due to the IAWP rule. One caveat – should there be room on Tennessee’s staff at some point before Robinson signs and Jeremy Pruitt opted to move Felton onto the field, then that would be allowable under the rules.
We continue to feel very good about South Carolina’s chances with four-star defensive back Jalen Perry out of Georgia. After a trip to Michigan last weekend, Perry is already planning on returning to USC next weekend for the Tennessee game. Look for some official visits to take place, and USC will land one of those. A trip to Florida is also possible in early November, but things are looking up for USC here.
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