W
Wes Mitchell
Guest
The 2019 Will Muschamp Football Camp Circuit came to a close Saturday as hundreds of campers hit the Rice Athletic Campus for Day 10 of the summer. There were commits on hand, big targets in town, and new offers handed out.
Here's what we learned today.
**********************
*** I can't remember any quarterbacks receiving more attention from Dan Werner at camp than Dacula (Ga.) Hebron Academy class of 2021 three-star quarterback Colten Gauthier did today. Gauthier, who made the trip to Columbia with his family, was greeted by Werner from the second he arrived at the indoor facility and the Gamecocks' quarterbacks coach proceeded to put him through an extensive one-on-one workout as Gauthier threw into nets and Werner meticulously talked through his motion. Werner was then joined by head coach Will Muschamp who also showed the Georgia quarterback plenty of attention.
After the one-on-one work in the morning, Gauthier spent the afternoon throwing among the other quarterback campers into nets, then to receivers against air, and then finally to receivers in one-on-ones. I wouldn't say it was a particularly strong QB group overall today, but Gauthier was easily the best of the bunch in my opinion.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, Gauthier appears to be every bit of that, if not a little more. Gauthier uses that frame well with a high, over-the-top delivery that the ball seems to just jump out of his hand with a high spin rate. Gauthier appears to have good mechanics with a repeatable motion and good footwork with a solid base under him and good balance. He's a pro-style guy for sure, but there's some sneaky athleticism there, which is the case with almost all really good quarterbacks in my opinion.
On the final rep of the day of WRs vs DBs - with updowns on the line for the losing side - Gauthier delivered a strike on a dig route for the first down and the "win."
As for his recruitment, there seems to be a high level of mutual interest between South Carolina and Gauthier and I expect Carolina to have major staying power here.
*** Some prospects need not workout to create a buzz and that's the case with four-star running back target Tank Bigsby, who was at South Carolina's indoor facility hanging out with running backs coach Thomas Brown at camp. South Carolina wide receiver commit Da'Qon Stewart arrived at the facility Saturday afternoon looking for Bigsby with recruiting the four-star back on his mind.
Bigsby's presence in Columbia was obviously big when considering his three straight visits to Auburn as it gives the Gamecocks an opportunity to counter any ground that was made up during those trips to the Plains. According to the Auburn Rivals site's Jeff Lee, Bigsby is "planning" to be at Auburn again on Sunday for a final visit before the dead period hits. The stance from the Auburn side of things is that the Tigers have made up ground but their writers are uncertain if it's enough for Auburn to land him.
On the other side, South Carolina has still felt pretty good, even after the three Auburn trips and even before Saturday's stop in Columbia. Could Bigsby finally be closing in on a decision? It's hard to say, because we've felt that way for some time and it just hasn't happened yet, but we'll surely be tracking it Sunday to see if he makes another trip to Auburn.
*** South Carolina class of 2021 running back commit Lovasea Carroll was back in Columbia with some family members and had plans to workout at the camp, but is still being bothered by a nagging hamstring. Carroll caught some passes from a standstill as Gauthier warmed up, but wisely passed on running routes since the hamstring still doesn't quite feel right.
But all was not lost as Carroll was once again able to spend the day with Brown, his future position coach, and spent ample time with Gauthier as the two have been friends for some time. In fact, one of Carroll's missions for the day way to convince Gauthier to join him on the Gamecocks' 2021 commit list, something that he doesn't believe is farfetched. Auburn and Georgia are still chasing hard, but Carroll remains 100 percent committed, he says.
*** A couple of under-the-radar receivers grabbed the attention of both the South Carolina staff and the Gamecock Central staff Saturday as they carved us defensive backs.
Alachua (Fla.) Sante Fe class of 2020 athlete Deron Reid entered Saturday's camp without even a Rivals profile, but for my money he was one of the better wide receivers on the field on this day. Reid is a quarterback in high school, but the 6-foot, 163-pounder showed elite quickness and strong hands at wide receiver which quickly gained the attention of Muschamp who pulled him aside at one point during the camp. With the defensive backs involved in their usual trash talk, Reid let them know about it telling a couple of campers in no uncertain terms that they "couldn't guard him" after breaking off successful routes against them. I need to do some more digging here, but this kid can definitely play somewhere in college.
Carol City (Fla.) wide receiver D'Andre Stafford also entered the day a bit under the radar but had a strong day and garnered the attention of McClendon. Stafford is long and lean at 6-foot-3 and a generous 180-pounds, but he's a long-strider and smoother glider with a knack for getting open and good ball skills. He's an intriguing guy for sure.
FROM CHRIS:
*** When we first wrote about in-state running back CJ Stokes in February, it was clear he had the potential to be an FBS prospect. He was a guy well respected within the Hammond football program for his work ethic, drive, and we heard plenty about his speed.
Stokes has been hitting the camp circuit on the regular, performing well at the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas this spring. He turned in a 4.47 forty yard dash at Virginia Tech this summer, and followed that with a 4.41 at South Carolina today.
Will Muschamp personally observed Stokes during drills today, and then towards the end of the one-on-one drills, he was grabbed by a staffer for a trip to Will Muschamp’s office. It was there that South Carolina dispensed Stokes’ first offer. Needless to say, it’s a big one.
*** 2022 Virginia defender Bryson Jennings was one of the more physically impressive prospects on Saturday, and he spent plenty of time working one-on-one with Mike Peterson during camp. Just based on body type, Jennings looks like a BUCK candidate in the Gamecocks’ scheme.
At the camp’s conclusion, he appeared set for a campus tour. Virginia and Virginia Tech have offered Jennings early.
*** Alabama wide receiver pledge Thaui Jones-Bell made some waves when he noted on social media that he was in Columbia on Friday. The Miami (Florida) Carol City product was still in town on Saturday, as Carol City had some prospects working out during the weekend camp session.
It’s unclear whether or not things will progress any further here, but Jones-Bell was standing on the sidelines observing. Tennessee is another program that we know to still be communicating with Jones-Bell.
*** Cartersville (Georgia) defensive back Evan Slocum from the 2021 class had one of the best performances of the day by a defensive back that we saw.
While he may not have stood out the most from a physical build standpoint, Slocum did not lose any reps we saw. He picked up a ball on a deep route in which he had perfect coverage on the receiver. Jaycee Horn, who’s been very active at camp all summer, was very excited during the rep. He was heard yelling: “I don’t know who that is, but he’s the truth!”
*** Offensive line commitment Issiah Walker put in some work with Eric Wolford and it’s easy to see why he’s so highly regarded. He’s really filled out up into the 300 pound range and moves around very well. He’s a guy that could play left tackle in the SEC. He did well in fending off defensive linemen in one-on-ones and countering their moves by moving his feet and staying in front. After one lockdown rep, defensive line coach John Scott was giving him major props. Wolford showed Walker and his family constant attention from the moment the South Carolina commitment arrived on campus.
*** Georgia offensive lineman Tanner Bivins is also a standout high school wrestler, and it was not a surprise in watching him move around in drills and in one-on-ones Saturday. The 2022 prospect entered camp with an offer to his credit.
*** Tallahassee (Florida) athlete Semaj James worked out on Saturday as a wide receiver and acquitted himself well in the one-on-ones. South Carolina has put themselves in a great position with the 2021 prospect early on and is someone they can likely land if they push for him.
*** Alabama’s Lee Hunter was in town along with some teammates from his high school and was sporting a Gamecock long-sleeve shirt upon entering the building.
Here's what we learned today.
**********************
*** I can't remember any quarterbacks receiving more attention from Dan Werner at camp than Dacula (Ga.) Hebron Academy class of 2021 three-star quarterback Colten Gauthier did today. Gauthier, who made the trip to Columbia with his family, was greeted by Werner from the second he arrived at the indoor facility and the Gamecocks' quarterbacks coach proceeded to put him through an extensive one-on-one workout as Gauthier threw into nets and Werner meticulously talked through his motion. Werner was then joined by head coach Will Muschamp who also showed the Georgia quarterback plenty of attention.
After the one-on-one work in the morning, Gauthier spent the afternoon throwing among the other quarterback campers into nets, then to receivers against air, and then finally to receivers in one-on-ones. I wouldn't say it was a particularly strong QB group overall today, but Gauthier was easily the best of the bunch in my opinion.
Listed at 6-foot-3, 190-pounds, Gauthier appears to be every bit of that, if not a little more. Gauthier uses that frame well with a high, over-the-top delivery that the ball seems to just jump out of his hand with a high spin rate. Gauthier appears to have good mechanics with a repeatable motion and good footwork with a solid base under him and good balance. He's a pro-style guy for sure, but there's some sneaky athleticism there, which is the case with almost all really good quarterbacks in my opinion.
On the final rep of the day of WRs vs DBs - with updowns on the line for the losing side - Gauthier delivered a strike on a dig route for the first down and the "win."
As for his recruitment, there seems to be a high level of mutual interest between South Carolina and Gauthier and I expect Carolina to have major staying power here.
*** Some prospects need not workout to create a buzz and that's the case with four-star running back target Tank Bigsby, who was at South Carolina's indoor facility hanging out with running backs coach Thomas Brown at camp. South Carolina wide receiver commit Da'Qon Stewart arrived at the facility Saturday afternoon looking for Bigsby with recruiting the four-star back on his mind.
Bigsby's presence in Columbia was obviously big when considering his three straight visits to Auburn as it gives the Gamecocks an opportunity to counter any ground that was made up during those trips to the Plains. According to the Auburn Rivals site's Jeff Lee, Bigsby is "planning" to be at Auburn again on Sunday for a final visit before the dead period hits. The stance from the Auburn side of things is that the Tigers have made up ground but their writers are uncertain if it's enough for Auburn to land him.
On the other side, South Carolina has still felt pretty good, even after the three Auburn trips and even before Saturday's stop in Columbia. Could Bigsby finally be closing in on a decision? It's hard to say, because we've felt that way for some time and it just hasn't happened yet, but we'll surely be tracking it Sunday to see if he makes another trip to Auburn.
*** South Carolina class of 2021 running back commit Lovasea Carroll was back in Columbia with some family members and had plans to workout at the camp, but is still being bothered by a nagging hamstring. Carroll caught some passes from a standstill as Gauthier warmed up, but wisely passed on running routes since the hamstring still doesn't quite feel right.
But all was not lost as Carroll was once again able to spend the day with Brown, his future position coach, and spent ample time with Gauthier as the two have been friends for some time. In fact, one of Carroll's missions for the day way to convince Gauthier to join him on the Gamecocks' 2021 commit list, something that he doesn't believe is farfetched. Auburn and Georgia are still chasing hard, but Carroll remains 100 percent committed, he says.
*** A couple of under-the-radar receivers grabbed the attention of both the South Carolina staff and the Gamecock Central staff Saturday as they carved us defensive backs.
Alachua (Fla.) Sante Fe class of 2020 athlete Deron Reid entered Saturday's camp without even a Rivals profile, but for my money he was one of the better wide receivers on the field on this day. Reid is a quarterback in high school, but the 6-foot, 163-pounder showed elite quickness and strong hands at wide receiver which quickly gained the attention of Muschamp who pulled him aside at one point during the camp. With the defensive backs involved in their usual trash talk, Reid let them know about it telling a couple of campers in no uncertain terms that they "couldn't guard him" after breaking off successful routes against them. I need to do some more digging here, but this kid can definitely play somewhere in college.
Carol City (Fla.) wide receiver D'Andre Stafford also entered the day a bit under the radar but had a strong day and garnered the attention of McClendon. Stafford is long and lean at 6-foot-3 and a generous 180-pounds, but he's a long-strider and smoother glider with a knack for getting open and good ball skills. He's an intriguing guy for sure.
FROM CHRIS:
*** When we first wrote about in-state running back CJ Stokes in February, it was clear he had the potential to be an FBS prospect. He was a guy well respected within the Hammond football program for his work ethic, drive, and we heard plenty about his speed.
Stokes has been hitting the camp circuit on the regular, performing well at the Rivals 3 Stripe Camp presented by adidas this spring. He turned in a 4.47 forty yard dash at Virginia Tech this summer, and followed that with a 4.41 at South Carolina today.
Will Muschamp personally observed Stokes during drills today, and then towards the end of the one-on-one drills, he was grabbed by a staffer for a trip to Will Muschamp’s office. It was there that South Carolina dispensed Stokes’ first offer. Needless to say, it’s a big one.
*** 2022 Virginia defender Bryson Jennings was one of the more physically impressive prospects on Saturday, and he spent plenty of time working one-on-one with Mike Peterson during camp. Just based on body type, Jennings looks like a BUCK candidate in the Gamecocks’ scheme.
At the camp’s conclusion, he appeared set for a campus tour. Virginia and Virginia Tech have offered Jennings early.
*** Alabama wide receiver pledge Thaui Jones-Bell made some waves when he noted on social media that he was in Columbia on Friday. The Miami (Florida) Carol City product was still in town on Saturday, as Carol City had some prospects working out during the weekend camp session.
It’s unclear whether or not things will progress any further here, but Jones-Bell was standing on the sidelines observing. Tennessee is another program that we know to still be communicating with Jones-Bell.
*** Cartersville (Georgia) defensive back Evan Slocum from the 2021 class had one of the best performances of the day by a defensive back that we saw.
While he may not have stood out the most from a physical build standpoint, Slocum did not lose any reps we saw. He picked up a ball on a deep route in which he had perfect coverage on the receiver. Jaycee Horn, who’s been very active at camp all summer, was very excited during the rep. He was heard yelling: “I don’t know who that is, but he’s the truth!”
*** Offensive line commitment Issiah Walker put in some work with Eric Wolford and it’s easy to see why he’s so highly regarded. He’s really filled out up into the 300 pound range and moves around very well. He’s a guy that could play left tackle in the SEC. He did well in fending off defensive linemen in one-on-ones and countering their moves by moving his feet and staying in front. After one lockdown rep, defensive line coach John Scott was giving him major props. Wolford showed Walker and his family constant attention from the moment the South Carolina commitment arrived on campus.
*** Georgia offensive lineman Tanner Bivins is also a standout high school wrestler, and it was not a surprise in watching him move around in drills and in one-on-ones Saturday. The 2022 prospect entered camp with an offer to his credit.
*** Tallahassee (Florida) athlete Semaj James worked out on Saturday as a wide receiver and acquitted himself well in the one-on-ones. South Carolina has put themselves in a great position with the 2021 prospect early on and is someone they can likely land if they push for him.
*** Alabama’s Lee Hunter was in town along with some teammates from his high school and was sporting a Gamecock long-sleeve shirt upon entering the building.
