I wanted to offer up my thoughts on how I’d personally rank South Carolina’s current 2017 commitments. I’ll rely on Rivals.com’s star rankings and sub-markers. As a reminder, two-star prospects are assigned a sub-rating between 5.0 and 5.4. Three-stars are anywhere from 5.5-5.7, four-stars between 5.8 and 6.0 and five-star prospects are 6.1 only.
I used any information or visuals available to me to put this together, although my evaluations of each player are not extensive as say, what college coaches would typically have available to them. I used my observations from watching these players move around and go through one-on-ones in camp (when possible), the film, and talks with people familiar with their play as well. Here’s a refresher on how Rivals classifies its rankings:
6.1 Franchise Player; considered one of the elite prospects in the country, generally among the nation's top 25 players overall; deemed to have excellent pro potential; high-major prospect
6.0-5.8 All-American Candidate; high-major prospect; considered one of the nation's top 300 prospects; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
5.7-5.5 All-Region Selection; considered among the region's top prospects and among the top 750 or so prospects in the country; high-to-mid-major prospect; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
5.4-5.0 Division I prospect; considered a mid-major prospect; deemed to have limited pro potential but definite Division I prospect; may be more of a role player
4.9 Sleeper; no Rivals.com expert knew much, if anything, about this player; a prospect that only a college coach really knew about
Davonne Bowen
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.8 four-star
This is the biggest jump I assigned to anyone in USC’s 2017 class regardless of side of the ball. In my opinion, Bowen is a very wise take for the Gamecock staff because he’s the type of kid who in the past would have probably gone to a smaller program (perhaps out of state) and ended up in the NFL later with everyone wondering why he did not play for USC. Turn on Bowen’s film and watch his explosive first step get him into the backfield over and over. Some coaches may have viewed him as a tweener when playing defensive end, but that problem goes away once you project him to play linebacker in college. Bowen has size that’s just fine for that spot at 6-foot-2, 220-pounds and plenty of room to add good weight. His transition to linebacker as far as getting out into space and covering backs and tight ends is more of a question until he does it this season (he’s playing linebacker his senior season at Woodmont), but at the bare minimum South Carolina is getting a guy with the tools to be successful at the transition. Bowen ran in the 4.4 range at South Carolina’s camp in the 40 and also posted very good explosive leaping numbers and shuttle times. He can run straight-line and he can move laterally, and he can go get the quarterback too. The learning curve will be there but I think the upside is substantial.
Jaylin Dickerson
Current ranking: 5.6 three-star
My ranking: 5.6 three-star
I’ve seen Dickerson work out at USC’s camp and on film, of which a lot of his work is on the offensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, I did not have the benefit of seeing him in a one-on-one setting in camp, and there’s not a wealth of film of him playing defensive back. Eyeballing Dickerson in camp, he has good size for the safety position and moves around well. USC put him through a pretty intense workout and he seemed to please the coaching staff during it. His intensity and the way he attacked the drills stood out in watching him. For me, Dickerson is someone I feel like I’ll be able to adjust again one way or another once I get a closer look at him in a football setting.
Tavyn Jackson
Current ranking: 5.6 three-star
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
Jackson’s currently the best cover guy in the class, bar none. He has a high football IQ and works extremely hard at his craft through film study, drills, and the like. That showed in USC’s camp this summer when he posted very good showings both in the individual drills and the one-on-ones. He has pretty good makeup speed and can flip his hips in coverage. Nobody beat him on anything substantial in the one-on-ones I saw in Columbia. I think with Jackson, the question is his size; his frame may not allow him to get a great deal bigger and he’s does not have elite size at the corner position as he’s under 6-foot tall as well. That could limit his pro potential, upside, and physicality in college but this is a good cover corner. USC needed to upgrade by getting some guys that understand how to blanket receivers and Jackson has some ability to do that. I’ve got him a bit higher than Rivals.
Tyreek Johnson
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.6 three-star
I really look forward to catching one of Johnson’s games this season, as I’m anxious to get an in-person look at him. In full disclosure, I haven’t seen him in a live game or camp setting, other than some clips I was sent from his camp workouts recently. Johnson is the kind of guy you take a flyer on because he’ll probably be 6-foot-4, 275-pounds as an in-state defensive lineman. As history has shown, you can never have too many defensive linemen that can play. He’s probably more of a down-the-road contributor while he learns and grows, but that does not really diminish his upside. Remember Clemson’s Kevin Dodd? He was a big kid that could not play dead in a western out of high school (but was big and could move) that took a long time to develop and was just drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft. In-state linemen with size and growth potential are often smart takes. I need to see more from Johnson, but his potential alone merits a bump from current ranking for me.
Damarri Mathis
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
In my view, Mathis is currently the highest-upside defensive back in USC’s 2017 class. You like Tavyn Jackson and he’s more advanced in terms of being a football player, technique, and the like but Mathis probably has the frame to be a little bit bigger, has long arms, and has some physical gifts that make him intriguing. He arrived at high school as a running back but then flipped over to the defensive side of the ball. Mathis was a spring evaluation period riser, with a few Power 5 schools jumping in with offers after USC did. Depending on his senior season, USC may have enhanced competition to keep him as well. He put up good testing numbers at USC including straight-line speed, which was my question. He can really leap, which helps with high pointing the ball in the air against bigger receivers. Because of his upside and potential, Mathis would be the highest rated DB currently committed.
Damani Staley
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.5 three-star
Staley was an extremely productive pass-rusher as a junior, and he will make the transition to linebacker at the college level. That’s a similar scenario to the aforementioned Davonne Bowen; I feel Bowen has the higher upside simply because of his athleticism and speed. Staley knows how to play the game and obviously has good bloodlines. I think you worry about the size a bit, and his learning curve may be steeper than some others as far as playing in space and in coverage. Staley is certainly someone I believe is capable of making an impact, which fits the parameters of his ranking.
Eldridge Thompson
Current ranking: Unranked
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
Thompson is a former high school wide receiver and strong safety who has been in junior college the past two seasons and put on weight, growing into a linebacker. He’s now similar in size to Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis, a former three-star that Will Muschamp flipped from Auburn and that has gone on to success in the SEC. Like Bowen, although they’re different players, Thompson brings a lot of athletic ability to the position. His former high school coach touted his toughness, his hands, and willingness to come downhill even during his days as a safety. Thompson racked up 103 tackles to lead his team at Coffeyville C.C. last season. He has the look of someone who could play inside or outside at linebacker and also be a heavy contributor on special teams.
Devonte Wyatt
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
I was actually on the fence about making Wyatt a low four-star simply because of his upside. Yes, this is a guy that is raw but he has so many of the tools that you look for to project success with a defensive tackle. It’s a hard position to find really good ones, but Wyatt could be one in the making. He has ideal size, did well in USC’s drills with Will Muschamp and Lance Thompson watching, and the film checks out as well. He’s a 6-foot-4, nearly-300 pound that can run, and that does not grow on trees.
******
In summary: you’ll notice I had three offensive prospects in USC’s 2017 class ranked lower than Rivals.com and two higher. The trend on the defensive side of the ball is that I have nearly everyone higher, and downgraded nobody. Will Muschamp’s recruiting job in his first full recruiting cycle as USC’s head coach is different than jobs he had recruiting to LSU, Auburn, Texas, or Florida. USC still needs to take players that can upgrade the roster and guys that are talented, and Muschamp has seen enough of them to know what they look like at the college level. I think he’s found some guys that will eventually outperform industry ranking here.
I used any information or visuals available to me to put this together, although my evaluations of each player are not extensive as say, what college coaches would typically have available to them. I used my observations from watching these players move around and go through one-on-ones in camp (when possible), the film, and talks with people familiar with their play as well. Here’s a refresher on how Rivals classifies its rankings:
6.1 Franchise Player; considered one of the elite prospects in the country, generally among the nation's top 25 players overall; deemed to have excellent pro potential; high-major prospect
6.0-5.8 All-American Candidate; high-major prospect; considered one of the nation's top 300 prospects; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
5.7-5.5 All-Region Selection; considered among the region's top prospects and among the top 750 or so prospects in the country; high-to-mid-major prospect; deemed to have pro potential and ability to make an impact on college team
5.4-5.0 Division I prospect; considered a mid-major prospect; deemed to have limited pro potential but definite Division I prospect; may be more of a role player
4.9 Sleeper; no Rivals.com expert knew much, if anything, about this player; a prospect that only a college coach really knew about
Davonne Bowen
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.8 four-star
This is the biggest jump I assigned to anyone in USC’s 2017 class regardless of side of the ball. In my opinion, Bowen is a very wise take for the Gamecock staff because he’s the type of kid who in the past would have probably gone to a smaller program (perhaps out of state) and ended up in the NFL later with everyone wondering why he did not play for USC. Turn on Bowen’s film and watch his explosive first step get him into the backfield over and over. Some coaches may have viewed him as a tweener when playing defensive end, but that problem goes away once you project him to play linebacker in college. Bowen has size that’s just fine for that spot at 6-foot-2, 220-pounds and plenty of room to add good weight. His transition to linebacker as far as getting out into space and covering backs and tight ends is more of a question until he does it this season (he’s playing linebacker his senior season at Woodmont), but at the bare minimum South Carolina is getting a guy with the tools to be successful at the transition. Bowen ran in the 4.4 range at South Carolina’s camp in the 40 and also posted very good explosive leaping numbers and shuttle times. He can run straight-line and he can move laterally, and he can go get the quarterback too. The learning curve will be there but I think the upside is substantial.
Jaylin Dickerson
Current ranking: 5.6 three-star
My ranking: 5.6 three-star
I’ve seen Dickerson work out at USC’s camp and on film, of which a lot of his work is on the offensive side of the ball. Unfortunately, I did not have the benefit of seeing him in a one-on-one setting in camp, and there’s not a wealth of film of him playing defensive back. Eyeballing Dickerson in camp, he has good size for the safety position and moves around well. USC put him through a pretty intense workout and he seemed to please the coaching staff during it. His intensity and the way he attacked the drills stood out in watching him. For me, Dickerson is someone I feel like I’ll be able to adjust again one way or another once I get a closer look at him in a football setting.
Tavyn Jackson
Current ranking: 5.6 three-star
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
Jackson’s currently the best cover guy in the class, bar none. He has a high football IQ and works extremely hard at his craft through film study, drills, and the like. That showed in USC’s camp this summer when he posted very good showings both in the individual drills and the one-on-ones. He has pretty good makeup speed and can flip his hips in coverage. Nobody beat him on anything substantial in the one-on-ones I saw in Columbia. I think with Jackson, the question is his size; his frame may not allow him to get a great deal bigger and he’s does not have elite size at the corner position as he’s under 6-foot tall as well. That could limit his pro potential, upside, and physicality in college but this is a good cover corner. USC needed to upgrade by getting some guys that understand how to blanket receivers and Jackson has some ability to do that. I’ve got him a bit higher than Rivals.
Tyreek Johnson
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.6 three-star
I really look forward to catching one of Johnson’s games this season, as I’m anxious to get an in-person look at him. In full disclosure, I haven’t seen him in a live game or camp setting, other than some clips I was sent from his camp workouts recently. Johnson is the kind of guy you take a flyer on because he’ll probably be 6-foot-4, 275-pounds as an in-state defensive lineman. As history has shown, you can never have too many defensive linemen that can play. He’s probably more of a down-the-road contributor while he learns and grows, but that does not really diminish his upside. Remember Clemson’s Kevin Dodd? He was a big kid that could not play dead in a western out of high school (but was big and could move) that took a long time to develop and was just drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft. In-state linemen with size and growth potential are often smart takes. I need to see more from Johnson, but his potential alone merits a bump from current ranking for me.
Damarri Mathis
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
In my view, Mathis is currently the highest-upside defensive back in USC’s 2017 class. You like Tavyn Jackson and he’s more advanced in terms of being a football player, technique, and the like but Mathis probably has the frame to be a little bit bigger, has long arms, and has some physical gifts that make him intriguing. He arrived at high school as a running back but then flipped over to the defensive side of the ball. Mathis was a spring evaluation period riser, with a few Power 5 schools jumping in with offers after USC did. Depending on his senior season, USC may have enhanced competition to keep him as well. He put up good testing numbers at USC including straight-line speed, which was my question. He can really leap, which helps with high pointing the ball in the air against bigger receivers. Because of his upside and potential, Mathis would be the highest rated DB currently committed.
Damani Staley
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.5 three-star
Staley was an extremely productive pass-rusher as a junior, and he will make the transition to linebacker at the college level. That’s a similar scenario to the aforementioned Davonne Bowen; I feel Bowen has the higher upside simply because of his athleticism and speed. Staley knows how to play the game and obviously has good bloodlines. I think you worry about the size a bit, and his learning curve may be steeper than some others as far as playing in space and in coverage. Staley is certainly someone I believe is capable of making an impact, which fits the parameters of his ranking.
Eldridge Thompson
Current ranking: Unranked
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
Thompson is a former high school wide receiver and strong safety who has been in junior college the past two seasons and put on weight, growing into a linebacker. He’s now similar in size to Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis, a former three-star that Will Muschamp flipped from Auburn and that has gone on to success in the SEC. Like Bowen, although they’re different players, Thompson brings a lot of athletic ability to the position. His former high school coach touted his toughness, his hands, and willingness to come downhill even during his days as a safety. Thompson racked up 103 tackles to lead his team at Coffeyville C.C. last season. He has the look of someone who could play inside or outside at linebacker and also be a heavy contributor on special teams.
Devonte Wyatt
Current ranking: 5.5 three-star
My ranking: 5.7 three-star
I was actually on the fence about making Wyatt a low four-star simply because of his upside. Yes, this is a guy that is raw but he has so many of the tools that you look for to project success with a defensive tackle. It’s a hard position to find really good ones, but Wyatt could be one in the making. He has ideal size, did well in USC’s drills with Will Muschamp and Lance Thompson watching, and the film checks out as well. He’s a 6-foot-4, nearly-300 pound that can run, and that does not grow on trees.
******
In summary: you’ll notice I had three offensive prospects in USC’s 2017 class ranked lower than Rivals.com and two higher. The trend on the defensive side of the ball is that I have nearly everyone higher, and downgraded nobody. Will Muschamp’s recruiting job in his first full recruiting cycle as USC’s head coach is different than jobs he had recruiting to LSU, Auburn, Texas, or Florida. USC still needs to take players that can upgrade the roster and guys that are talented, and Muschamp has seen enough of them to know what they look like at the college level. I think he’s found some guys that will eventually outperform industry ranking here.
