Wes Mitchell and I will be rolling out reactions, scoop, and updates stemming from the weekend visit slate as we get them throughout today and tonight.
Hope everyone has enjoyed the weekend so far, and we're grateful that you're a member of GamecockCentral.com. Stay tuned for updates here!
Monday 4 p.m. update - From Wes
- Jayden Bradford was back in for the first time in a while (since the Kentucky game) and said he and his family had a great time.
"It was definitely different (than the last visit) because of the energy in the stadium," Bradford said. "That's a big game, that's the biggest game for South Carolina every year, going up against Clemson, no matter who has the upper hand. The energy in the air was electric, you could feel it as soon as you walked on campus. It was awesome just being there. That was my first time going to a Carolina-Clemson game since I was probably like 10 or something, so it's been a while since I went. Going there with my dad and giving my u
Full story: https://southcarolina.rivals.com/news/four-star-qb-jayden-bradford-takes-in-palmetto-bowl
- Class of 2023 four-star QB Dylan Lonergan:
"It was good; really enjoyed the atmosphere."
- Class of 2023 TE target Jack Larsen
"It was awesome, had a really good time. Really great atmosphere in the stadium and great to talk to all the coaches.
- 2024 WR target Mazeo Bennett
"The visit this weekend was great. The atmosphere was amazing and the fans were great even though it was a tough loss, it was one I’m glad I didn’t miss!"
- 2023 RB and baseball commit Caleb Hampton
"The visit was great and the atmosphere was amazing! Due to traffic I arrived to the stadium late. Coach Hardesty had already left for pregame warmups. I did have a chance to meet Connor Shaw. I really liked him and his passion for the Gamecocks."
6 p.m. update - From Wes
- First, I'll start with a prospect who was not in Columbia Saturday night but was instead at Auburn on his official visit, Dutch Fork four-star wide receiver Antonio Williams.
Williams indeed made it on that OV, though it was an abbreviated trip with the big-play receiver arriving just in time for the start of the game Saturday and then leaving this morning in order to get back to the Midlands for a practice today as the Silver Foxes prepare for a state championship game on Saturday.
Williams says that his decision will come "in the next few weeks" and certainly after that state championship game.
While it appears the Auburn visit went well, this is believed to be a South Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss battle.
The Gamecocks have certainly been hurt by their offensive output this season and I imagine Williams and Co. will be tracking the Gamecocks' plan on that side of the ball moving forward. To reiterate, you can't say enough about the job Justin Stepp has done here keeping Carolina in it.
That said, while the Clemson offer certainly grabbed his attention, the late nature of the tender hasn't seemed to help and the thought heading into this weekend is that the Tigers have some work to do. Ole Miss has been a strong factor throughout.
I rarely read into what recruits say for interviews, but he did have an interesting quote to our Auburn site, AuburnSports.com, about what he's looking for in a school:
“You’ll see in a couple of weeks,” said Williams of a decision that will come down to, “getting on the field early and just having good relationships with coaches and players."
- Jefferson (Ga.) class of 2024 four-star LB Sammy Brown made it into town for the game Saturday after landing an offer from the Gamecocks over the summer following a great camp performance.
"It was an amazing atmosphere and great fans," Brown said. "The fans as well as the players have bought into the new way of football and they have total faith in Coach Beamer. Always disappointing to lose, but they’re definitely heading in the right direction. Within the next couple of years they’ll be a great team."
Brown is on his way to being a national-level recruit and one of the best in his class.
- Greenville (S.C.) class of 2021 QB Pro Franklin has been a mainstay on the Carolina campus and he made it back in along with class of 2024 receiver target Mazeo Bennett.
"I mean the atmosphere was amazing," Franklin said. "USC had some times at the beginning where they had to many or less people on the field at once that brought them down a little but USC has proven themselves before the Clemson game they've shown there's life in that Garnet for the recruits."
- Florence (S.C.) West Florence class of 2023 DB Kelvin Hunter, who landed an offer from the Gamecocks this summer at camp, also made it in.
"(It was) good. I got to meet some of the recruits and coaches and players. I like the school and the people are great to be around. (What were the coaches telling you?) Nothing much just them asking how me and my family been and how the season went."
- Camden (S.C.) class of 2023 defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod, a mainstay on the Carolina campus, was back in town Saturday fresh off his Camden team's win Friday night to lock up another state championship birth.
Here he is below checking in from the sidelines (photo by C.J. Driggers).
2:15 p.m. update - from Chris
- Caught up with Mississippi LB Stone Blanton - here's our full update from him here in story format: https://southcarolina.rivals.com/news/lb-stone-blanton-wraps-super-amazing-trip-to-columbia
A couple more items that didn't make the story cut: I asked Blanton what the latest was on the baseball front with South Carolina. He cited the "unwritten rule" in baseball that minimizes contact in that sport between coaches from another program and a prospect committed to a program. Thus, there hasn't been a lot there with Blanton in terms of off-campus contact. Blanton, of course, is still committed to Mississippi State for baseball.
The in-state schools have been the front-runners here, but there's also been an open door for the Gamecocks. We don't get the sense Texas A&M is really a huge factor, even though the Aggies are in the final four for Blanton. MSU will send its defensive coordinator in for an in-home tomorrow night, and South Carolina's Clayton White is expected in this week as well.
- Four-star RB Ramon Brown from Virginia - a Virginia Tech commitment - made it in as planned. He has not given us a lot of feedback yet at GamecockCentral.com other than to say that he didn't feel the trip was too far a drive from his Virginia home.
Just from what we heard going into the trip, there did not seem to be an overwhelming vibe of positivity to Carolina's chances in this one. You may recall that Maryland finished second for Brown's services at the time of his original commitment to Virginia Tech. We'll double back with more information if we get it, though.
- One of South Carolina's more recent 2023 offers at DB - D.C.'s Zahbari Sandy- was among the visitors on Saturday night as well. Here's what he had to say to GamecockCentral.com:
"It was great, man. I liked it a lot. Coach Gray, Nate Ellis, and (Shane) Beamer are good dudes. Even though they lost the game, the atmosphere was great."
- 2023 OL Joshua Miller out of Virginia was also inside Williams-Brice Stadium and had the following take:
"Man, the environment was crazy. It was definitely one of the loudest and craziest environments that I've seen in person. I didn't really get to talk to them (much) because I got there around 6:000. I got to chop it up with a few coaches, though, just talking bout the program and stuff like that.
- 2024 product Andrew Hines is one of the state of Georgia's best young prospects and also gave a strong review to his trip on Saturday night. One of his youth football coaches, Gradie Lewis, played at South Carolina.
"SC is definitely on its way. The fan base is already there," he said. "The facilities are outstanding, the program will have opportunities for guys serious about football and the athletes have a strong brotherhood."
Hope everyone has enjoyed the weekend so far, and we're grateful that you're a member of GamecockCentral.com. Stay tuned for updates here!
Monday 4 p.m. update - From Wes
- Jayden Bradford was back in for the first time in a while (since the Kentucky game) and said he and his family had a great time.
"It was definitely different (than the last visit) because of the energy in the stadium," Bradford said. "That's a big game, that's the biggest game for South Carolina every year, going up against Clemson, no matter who has the upper hand. The energy in the air was electric, you could feel it as soon as you walked on campus. It was awesome just being there. That was my first time going to a Carolina-Clemson game since I was probably like 10 or something, so it's been a while since I went. Going there with my dad and giving my u
Full story: https://southcarolina.rivals.com/news/four-star-qb-jayden-bradford-takes-in-palmetto-bowl
- Class of 2023 four-star QB Dylan Lonergan:
"It was good; really enjoyed the atmosphere."
- Class of 2023 TE target Jack Larsen
"It was awesome, had a really good time. Really great atmosphere in the stadium and great to talk to all the coaches.
- 2024 WR target Mazeo Bennett
"The visit this weekend was great. The atmosphere was amazing and the fans were great even though it was a tough loss, it was one I’m glad I didn’t miss!"
- 2023 RB and baseball commit Caleb Hampton
"The visit was great and the atmosphere was amazing! Due to traffic I arrived to the stadium late. Coach Hardesty had already left for pregame warmups. I did have a chance to meet Connor Shaw. I really liked him and his passion for the Gamecocks."
6 p.m. update - From Wes
- First, I'll start with a prospect who was not in Columbia Saturday night but was instead at Auburn on his official visit, Dutch Fork four-star wide receiver Antonio Williams.
Williams indeed made it on that OV, though it was an abbreviated trip with the big-play receiver arriving just in time for the start of the game Saturday and then leaving this morning in order to get back to the Midlands for a practice today as the Silver Foxes prepare for a state championship game on Saturday.
Williams says that his decision will come "in the next few weeks" and certainly after that state championship game.
While it appears the Auburn visit went well, this is believed to be a South Carolina, Clemson, Ole Miss battle.
The Gamecocks have certainly been hurt by their offensive output this season and I imagine Williams and Co. will be tracking the Gamecocks' plan on that side of the ball moving forward. To reiterate, you can't say enough about the job Justin Stepp has done here keeping Carolina in it.
That said, while the Clemson offer certainly grabbed his attention, the late nature of the tender hasn't seemed to help and the thought heading into this weekend is that the Tigers have some work to do. Ole Miss has been a strong factor throughout.
I rarely read into what recruits say for interviews, but he did have an interesting quote to our Auburn site, AuburnSports.com, about what he's looking for in a school:
“You’ll see in a couple of weeks,” said Williams of a decision that will come down to, “getting on the field early and just having good relationships with coaches and players."
- Jefferson (Ga.) class of 2024 four-star LB Sammy Brown made it into town for the game Saturday after landing an offer from the Gamecocks over the summer following a great camp performance.
"It was an amazing atmosphere and great fans," Brown said. "The fans as well as the players have bought into the new way of football and they have total faith in Coach Beamer. Always disappointing to lose, but they’re definitely heading in the right direction. Within the next couple of years they’ll be a great team."
Brown is on his way to being a national-level recruit and one of the best in his class.
- Greenville (S.C.) class of 2021 QB Pro Franklin has been a mainstay on the Carolina campus and he made it back in along with class of 2024 receiver target Mazeo Bennett.
"I mean the atmosphere was amazing," Franklin said. "USC had some times at the beginning where they had to many or less people on the field at once that brought them down a little but USC has proven themselves before the Clemson game they've shown there's life in that Garnet for the recruits."
- Florence (S.C.) West Florence class of 2023 DB Kelvin Hunter, who landed an offer from the Gamecocks this summer at camp, also made it in.
"(It was) good. I got to meet some of the recruits and coaches and players. I like the school and the people are great to be around. (What were the coaches telling you?) Nothing much just them asking how me and my family been and how the season went."
- Camden (S.C.) class of 2023 defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod, a mainstay on the Carolina campus, was back in town Saturday fresh off his Camden team's win Friday night to lock up another state championship birth.
Here he is below checking in from the sidelines (photo by C.J. Driggers).
2:15 p.m. update - from Chris
- Caught up with Mississippi LB Stone Blanton - here's our full update from him here in story format: https://southcarolina.rivals.com/news/lb-stone-blanton-wraps-super-amazing-trip-to-columbia
A couple more items that didn't make the story cut: I asked Blanton what the latest was on the baseball front with South Carolina. He cited the "unwritten rule" in baseball that minimizes contact in that sport between coaches from another program and a prospect committed to a program. Thus, there hasn't been a lot there with Blanton in terms of off-campus contact. Blanton, of course, is still committed to Mississippi State for baseball.
The in-state schools have been the front-runners here, but there's also been an open door for the Gamecocks. We don't get the sense Texas A&M is really a huge factor, even though the Aggies are in the final four for Blanton. MSU will send its defensive coordinator in for an in-home tomorrow night, and South Carolina's Clayton White is expected in this week as well.
- Four-star RB Ramon Brown from Virginia - a Virginia Tech commitment - made it in as planned. He has not given us a lot of feedback yet at GamecockCentral.com other than to say that he didn't feel the trip was too far a drive from his Virginia home.
Just from what we heard going into the trip, there did not seem to be an overwhelming vibe of positivity to Carolina's chances in this one. You may recall that Maryland finished second for Brown's services at the time of his original commitment to Virginia Tech. We'll double back with more information if we get it, though.
- One of South Carolina's more recent 2023 offers at DB - D.C.'s Zahbari Sandy- was among the visitors on Saturday night as well. Here's what he had to say to GamecockCentral.com:
"It was great, man. I liked it a lot. Coach Gray, Nate Ellis, and (Shane) Beamer are good dudes. Even though they lost the game, the atmosphere was great."
- 2023 OL Joshua Miller out of Virginia was also inside Williams-Brice Stadium and had the following take:
"Man, the environment was crazy. It was definitely one of the loudest and craziest environments that I've seen in person. I didn't really get to talk to them (much) because I got there around 6:000. I got to chop it up with a few coaches, though, just talking bout the program and stuff like that.
- 2024 product Andrew Hines is one of the state of Georgia's best young prospects and also gave a strong review to his trip on Saturday night. One of his youth football coaches, Gradie Lewis, played at South Carolina.
"SC is definitely on its way. The fan base is already there," he said. "The facilities are outstanding, the program will have opportunities for guys serious about football and the athletes have a strong brotherhood."
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