FRIDAY ONE-DAY CAMP
It’s easy to forget about the fact that USC held a one-day prospect camp on Friday because it’s overshadowed by the following day’s camp, the Gamecock Showcase. There are still some pertinent notes to pass on from Friday, too.
Three prospects from Jacksonville (Florida) Ed White worked out at the camp; senior offensive lineman Jordan Johnson, 2018 OL Curtis Dunlap and 2018 LB Eriq Gilyard.
Johnson has been on the verge of naming a final five for a while but to date has not released that list; I would be surprised if USC didn’t end up making it once he does trim things down. My understanding is that he’s ruled out several programs privately but that USC appears to be in it still. Johnson told me after the camp stop, in which he did work out with Shawn Elliott, that he spoke with Elliott and area recruiter Steve Spurrier Jr. and enjoyed himself.
Dunlap is an impressive-looking young lineman and Gilyard has been on USC’s radar for quite a while. He already holds a USC offer and was on campus this spring. His father, Roshard Gilyard, played for Auburn but was recruited by Steve Spurrier when he was at Florida so there is some familiarity there. Gilyard isn’t the biggest right now, but he moves around well.
JUCO OL Ashton Julious, a Florence native, worked out as planned but did not walk away with an offer on Friday. He’s one USC will continue to watch.
USC is also keeping an eye on in-state offensive lineman Chris Morales from Fort Dorchester. The staff wanted to see him in person and I understand he turned in a solid performance on Friday. He’s one we’ll just keep an eye on going forward.
After seeing four-star wide receiver Kelvin Harmon on Friday, it was no surprise to see Steve Spurrier pull him aside and issue an offer that Harmon has quite frankly been waiting on for a while. Harmon told me that he will name a top six soon and that USC will certainly be in it, but there’s reason to believe that USC is in pretty good shape here. He’s already got a solid connection with QB pledge Brandon McIlwain, having played with him in the spring/summer on the Next Level Greats seven on seven team. Harmon has seemed to improve over time. He was smooth in his routes, which he ran well, and caught everything thrown his way. When looking at candidates to join the USC wide receiver corps in the 2016 class, Harmon is certainly one that could be a part of it.
2017 wide receiver Everett Wormley, another New Jersey product, looked good on the hoof and also worked out in the camp. He’s someone USC is well aware of and evaluating. Senior athlete Tyree Rodgers also participated in camp, but it doesn’t look like he’s someone that will reach USC’s offer board right now.
2017 quarterback Leighton Alley from Florida was also throwing at the camp; his size stood out at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds.
As we already mentioned, 2018 DT Josh Belk picked up his first offer from the Gamecocks following his camp performance on Friday morning and that was followed in short order by Clemson and LSU. Belk spoke with Wes Mitchell about the offer in this story. USC has the very early lead for the high-upside tackle. I watched Belk run around in drills and he has some work to do from a conditioning standpoint but will be a highly-recruited prospect. He is naturally strong, has measurables, and good film.
Four-star RB Jordon Brown, who made a jump into the Rivals250 after the spring, was hoping to earn a Gamecock offer after camp and did just that. The North Carolina product is a smaller, quicker player more in the mold of an AJ Turner type. He ran a 4.48 forty time at the camp and did well in one-on-ones. USC is a major player now after issuing an offer.
When the morning camp session wrapped up, Steve Spurrier said some words and then introduced Marcus Lattimore. The attention level for Lattimore was higher than when anyone else spoke the entire day, and he delivered with an excellent message to the campers. He used some examples from his own experience, including how he was the number one running back and the country and although it didn't go as planned in terms of his NFL career, that everything helped shape the remainder of his life. He told the campers that football was just a small part of life and to take advantage of every moment. He also made sure they knew how important family and the coaches that were in their lives were and then prayed for them at the end.
GAMECOCK SHOWCASE
USC followed up by hosting its most talent-laden summer camp of the year yesterday with the Gamecock Showcase. Registration began around 2:30 and players checked out the locker rooms and jerseys and saw plans for USC’s ongoing facilities improvements such as the indoor facility and new dorms. Tours were given to everyone all around campus, touching the Dodie, the Horseshoe, and all around. Marcus Lattimore, Ray Tanner, and Steve Spurrier all addressed the group and then the players got dressed and hit the field for a quick workout while the parents met with Jerri Spurrier. Following is more recruiting scoop from the event:
Three prospects committed to programs in Florida now say they will take officials to South Carolina after visiting Columbia for the Showcase.
Florida State pledge Keir Thomas and his father got plenty of face time with lead recruiter Lorenzo Ward, who escorted them to their vehicle at the conclusion of the Showcase and spent several minutes pitching South Carolina. Thomas is still committed to the Seminoles, but said that his motivation for taking the trip was to Columbia was due to South Carolina’s continued pursuit. The trip was good enough for Thomas to say that he’s planning on taking an official visit to USC along with Arkansas and of course Florida State.
Miami commitment Michael Pinckney said he “definitely” going to make an official visit to Columbia after his Showcase visit. He admitted that the trip surpassed his expectations. He worked out with linebackers coach Kirk Botkin and said the forthcoming dorms really stood out to him. One storyline to continue to watch here is that Pinckney is paying close attention to Al Golden’s job status with the Hurricanes. He’s been committed to Miami for quite a while so as long as Golden is there Miami should be considered the favorite to hold onto him. Still, USC certainly gave him something to think about here.
Rick Wells is committed to the Florida Gators, and made the trip with Pinckney, his teammate Pinckney at Raines High in Jacksonville. The four star athlete pledged to the Gators in January, with South Carolina being another school he’s always seemed to like. Wells did tell us after the camp that he plans on making a return visit to Columbia in the future, and I’m told that it’s not as if he’s a 100 percent lock to the Gators.
North Carolina Rivals100 offensive lineman Landon Dickerson is generally a straight-shooter when it comes to his recruitment; he doesn’t beat around the bush or play a lot of games when talking to the media. So when he says that USC pulled even with Virginia Tech and Tennessee into a tie for a top three, it’s probably fairly accurate. Dickerson did not stay for the entire Showcase, heading out before the workout portion began. That actually seemed like a positive for Dickerson, as he was able to get more one-on-one time with the USC staff. While I would still say it looks tougher on the surface for USC to beat Virginia Tech or Tennessee, this visit did help and solidified that USC will get another visit during the season from Dickerson. As he pointed out in our wrap-up interview, the more he returns to Columbia, the more it helps USC with him. You can read that here.
Lithonia defensive end Jordan Smith did not work out at the Showcase, instead hanging out on the sidelines during the short workout portion with some other players and partaking in the other activities the rest of the day. While it was a good trip for Smith, he says he’s still leaning towards Clemson at this time. We’re not really sure where falls on Clemson’s board, but if the Tigers push Clemson will likely prove tough to beat for him at this juncture.
More in the second post here (just hit word count limit)...
It’s easy to forget about the fact that USC held a one-day prospect camp on Friday because it’s overshadowed by the following day’s camp, the Gamecock Showcase. There are still some pertinent notes to pass on from Friday, too.
Three prospects from Jacksonville (Florida) Ed White worked out at the camp; senior offensive lineman Jordan Johnson, 2018 OL Curtis Dunlap and 2018 LB Eriq Gilyard.
Johnson has been on the verge of naming a final five for a while but to date has not released that list; I would be surprised if USC didn’t end up making it once he does trim things down. My understanding is that he’s ruled out several programs privately but that USC appears to be in it still. Johnson told me after the camp stop, in which he did work out with Shawn Elliott, that he spoke with Elliott and area recruiter Steve Spurrier Jr. and enjoyed himself.
Dunlap is an impressive-looking young lineman and Gilyard has been on USC’s radar for quite a while. He already holds a USC offer and was on campus this spring. His father, Roshard Gilyard, played for Auburn but was recruited by Steve Spurrier when he was at Florida so there is some familiarity there. Gilyard isn’t the biggest right now, but he moves around well.
JUCO OL Ashton Julious, a Florence native, worked out as planned but did not walk away with an offer on Friday. He’s one USC will continue to watch.
USC is also keeping an eye on in-state offensive lineman Chris Morales from Fort Dorchester. The staff wanted to see him in person and I understand he turned in a solid performance on Friday. He’s one we’ll just keep an eye on going forward.
After seeing four-star wide receiver Kelvin Harmon on Friday, it was no surprise to see Steve Spurrier pull him aside and issue an offer that Harmon has quite frankly been waiting on for a while. Harmon told me that he will name a top six soon and that USC will certainly be in it, but there’s reason to believe that USC is in pretty good shape here. He’s already got a solid connection with QB pledge Brandon McIlwain, having played with him in the spring/summer on the Next Level Greats seven on seven team. Harmon has seemed to improve over time. He was smooth in his routes, which he ran well, and caught everything thrown his way. When looking at candidates to join the USC wide receiver corps in the 2016 class, Harmon is certainly one that could be a part of it.
2017 wide receiver Everett Wormley, another New Jersey product, looked good on the hoof and also worked out in the camp. He’s someone USC is well aware of and evaluating. Senior athlete Tyree Rodgers also participated in camp, but it doesn’t look like he’s someone that will reach USC’s offer board right now.
2017 quarterback Leighton Alley from Florida was also throwing at the camp; his size stood out at 6-foot-4, 210 pounds.
As we already mentioned, 2018 DT Josh Belk picked up his first offer from the Gamecocks following his camp performance on Friday morning and that was followed in short order by Clemson and LSU. Belk spoke with Wes Mitchell about the offer in this story. USC has the very early lead for the high-upside tackle. I watched Belk run around in drills and he has some work to do from a conditioning standpoint but will be a highly-recruited prospect. He is naturally strong, has measurables, and good film.
Four-star RB Jordon Brown, who made a jump into the Rivals250 after the spring, was hoping to earn a Gamecock offer after camp and did just that. The North Carolina product is a smaller, quicker player more in the mold of an AJ Turner type. He ran a 4.48 forty time at the camp and did well in one-on-ones. USC is a major player now after issuing an offer.
When the morning camp session wrapped up, Steve Spurrier said some words and then introduced Marcus Lattimore. The attention level for Lattimore was higher than when anyone else spoke the entire day, and he delivered with an excellent message to the campers. He used some examples from his own experience, including how he was the number one running back and the country and although it didn't go as planned in terms of his NFL career, that everything helped shape the remainder of his life. He told the campers that football was just a small part of life and to take advantage of every moment. He also made sure they knew how important family and the coaches that were in their lives were and then prayed for them at the end.
GAMECOCK SHOWCASE
USC followed up by hosting its most talent-laden summer camp of the year yesterday with the Gamecock Showcase. Registration began around 2:30 and players checked out the locker rooms and jerseys and saw plans for USC’s ongoing facilities improvements such as the indoor facility and new dorms. Tours were given to everyone all around campus, touching the Dodie, the Horseshoe, and all around. Marcus Lattimore, Ray Tanner, and Steve Spurrier all addressed the group and then the players got dressed and hit the field for a quick workout while the parents met with Jerri Spurrier. Following is more recruiting scoop from the event:
Three prospects committed to programs in Florida now say they will take officials to South Carolina after visiting Columbia for the Showcase.
Florida State pledge Keir Thomas and his father got plenty of face time with lead recruiter Lorenzo Ward, who escorted them to their vehicle at the conclusion of the Showcase and spent several minutes pitching South Carolina. Thomas is still committed to the Seminoles, but said that his motivation for taking the trip was to Columbia was due to South Carolina’s continued pursuit. The trip was good enough for Thomas to say that he’s planning on taking an official visit to USC along with Arkansas and of course Florida State.
Miami commitment Michael Pinckney said he “definitely” going to make an official visit to Columbia after his Showcase visit. He admitted that the trip surpassed his expectations. He worked out with linebackers coach Kirk Botkin and said the forthcoming dorms really stood out to him. One storyline to continue to watch here is that Pinckney is paying close attention to Al Golden’s job status with the Hurricanes. He’s been committed to Miami for quite a while so as long as Golden is there Miami should be considered the favorite to hold onto him. Still, USC certainly gave him something to think about here.
Rick Wells is committed to the Florida Gators, and made the trip with Pinckney, his teammate Pinckney at Raines High in Jacksonville. The four star athlete pledged to the Gators in January, with South Carolina being another school he’s always seemed to like. Wells did tell us after the camp that he plans on making a return visit to Columbia in the future, and I’m told that it’s not as if he’s a 100 percent lock to the Gators.
North Carolina Rivals100 offensive lineman Landon Dickerson is generally a straight-shooter when it comes to his recruitment; he doesn’t beat around the bush or play a lot of games when talking to the media. So when he says that USC pulled even with Virginia Tech and Tennessee into a tie for a top three, it’s probably fairly accurate. Dickerson did not stay for the entire Showcase, heading out before the workout portion began. That actually seemed like a positive for Dickerson, as he was able to get more one-on-one time with the USC staff. While I would still say it looks tougher on the surface for USC to beat Virginia Tech or Tennessee, this visit did help and solidified that USC will get another visit during the season from Dickerson. As he pointed out in our wrap-up interview, the more he returns to Columbia, the more it helps USC with him. You can read that here.
Lithonia defensive end Jordan Smith did not work out at the Showcase, instead hanging out on the sidelines during the short workout portion with some other players and partaking in the other activities the rest of the day. While it was a good trip for Smith, he says he’s still leaning towards Clemson at this time. We’re not really sure where falls on Clemson’s board, but if the Tigers push Clemson will likely prove tough to beat for him at this juncture.
More in the second post here (just hit word count limit)...
