Carolina could sign five of the top 10 JUCO
Thanks in part to a number of elite prospects with Palmetto State or regional/program ties, South Carolina will recruit the junior college ranks for the 2015 cycle perhaps heavier than at any point during the era of current head coach Steve Spurrier.
A look at 247Sports recently-released junior college rankings reveals that the Gamecocks could have quite the haul as five of the top 10 are South Carolina targets that USC has a realistic shot at landing.
Marquavius Lewis, a defensive end from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College is a native of Greenwood. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder has a double-digit offer sheet, including South Carolina, Clemson, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia. Lewis is the No. 2 overall junior college prospect for the 2015 cycle. The Gamecocks, Clemson and Auburn are in good shape as of today. He will need to be able to visit before much is known about his ultimate college destination. That being said, Carolina has had great success with Greenwood prospects over the years- putting many in the NFL- including D.J. Swearinger of the Houston Texans and likely 2014 draft pick Kelcy Quarles- so you have to like their chances to be firmly in the mix. Defensive line coach Deke Adams is his USC recruiter.
Another Palmetto State product on the defensive line is the No. 3 overall junior college prospect- defensive tackle D.J. Jones from East Mississippi in Scooba, Miss. The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Jones has grown since he was a Shrine Bowl selection out of Wren High in Piedmont during the 2013 cycle and has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Clemson and Georgia in addition to the Gamecocks. Three Crystal Ball picks are in for Jones, who will visit Columbia at some point- all are currently for South Carolina. Adams also is running point on Jones for the Gamecocks.
Class of 2014 signee Dante Sawyer already is at East Mississippi with Jones and the elite pass rusher could be ready to transfer in for the summer of 2015. The 6-foot-2.5, 262-pound Sawyer was a U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection and one of the top edge rushers in his high school class out of North Gwinnett (Ga.). Sawyer checks in as the No. 5 junior college recruit in the country according to 247Sports. G.A. Mangus recruited him out of high school and will combo with Adams to keep Sawyer in the fold- which we expect they will as East Mississippi does as good of a job as any at “protecting” placed players for Division I programs.
If linebacker Davon Durant of Butler (Kan.) Community College had been a qualifier out of Greenwood High, he may very well be starting for South Carolina right now. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Durant was one of the better at his position in the southeast and was impressive during the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas his senior year. The Gamecocks placed him and have an excellent shot at getting him back. Durant is the top linebacker in 2015 from the junior college ranks according to 247Sports. Mangus is his recruiter of record and 100 percent of the Crystal Ball predictions are in for USC.
South Carolina will suffer heavy personnel losses on the offensive line following the 2014 season, so it is in the market for an offensive tackle from the junior college ranks. Paris Palmer from Lackawanna (Pa.) College has been offered by the Gamecocks and is a native of Plymouth, N.C., so USC has proximity playing in its favor. Ohio State, Penn State Miami, Arizona State, Baylor, East Carolina and a slew of others have offered the 6-foot-8, 305-pound Palmer in addition to USC. Shawn Elliott, South Carolina’s offensive line coach and running game coordinator, is the primary recruiter-of-record. Of the five listed, Palmer is the one to feel the least confident about if you are a Gamecock fan, but truth be told not much will be known until he starts taking visits.
Link: http://southcarolina.247sports.com/Article/South-Carolina-Gamecocks-could-sign-five-of-the-top-10-JUCOS-183603
Thanks in part to a number of elite prospects with Palmetto State or regional/program ties, South Carolina will recruit the junior college ranks for the 2015 cycle perhaps heavier than at any point during the era of current head coach Steve Spurrier.
A look at 247Sports recently-released junior college rankings reveals that the Gamecocks could have quite the haul as five of the top 10 are South Carolina targets that USC has a realistic shot at landing.
Marquavius Lewis, a defensive end from Hutchinson (Kan.) Community College is a native of Greenwood. The 6-foot-4, 270-pounder has a double-digit offer sheet, including South Carolina, Clemson, Auburn, Alabama and Georgia. Lewis is the No. 2 overall junior college prospect for the 2015 cycle. The Gamecocks, Clemson and Auburn are in good shape as of today. He will need to be able to visit before much is known about his ultimate college destination. That being said, Carolina has had great success with Greenwood prospects over the years- putting many in the NFL- including D.J. Swearinger of the Houston Texans and likely 2014 draft pick Kelcy Quarles- so you have to like their chances to be firmly in the mix. Defensive line coach Deke Adams is his USC recruiter.
Another Palmetto State product on the defensive line is the No. 3 overall junior college prospect- defensive tackle D.J. Jones from East Mississippi in Scooba, Miss. The 6-foot-2, 305-pound Jones has grown since he was a Shrine Bowl selection out of Wren High in Piedmont during the 2013 cycle and has offers from Alabama, Florida State, Clemson and Georgia in addition to the Gamecocks. Three Crystal Ball picks are in for Jones, who will visit Columbia at some point- all are currently for South Carolina. Adams also is running point on Jones for the Gamecocks.
Class of 2014 signee Dante Sawyer already is at East Mississippi with Jones and the elite pass rusher could be ready to transfer in for the summer of 2015. The 6-foot-2.5, 262-pound Sawyer was a U.S. Army All-American Bowl selection and one of the top edge rushers in his high school class out of North Gwinnett (Ga.). Sawyer checks in as the No. 5 junior college recruit in the country according to 247Sports. G.A. Mangus recruited him out of high school and will combo with Adams to keep Sawyer in the fold- which we expect they will as East Mississippi does as good of a job as any at “protecting” placed players for Division I programs.
If linebacker Davon Durant of Butler (Kan.) Community College had been a qualifier out of Greenwood High, he may very well be starting for South Carolina right now. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Durant was one of the better at his position in the southeast and was impressive during the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas his senior year. The Gamecocks placed him and have an excellent shot at getting him back. Durant is the top linebacker in 2015 from the junior college ranks according to 247Sports. Mangus is his recruiter of record and 100 percent of the Crystal Ball predictions are in for USC.
South Carolina will suffer heavy personnel losses on the offensive line following the 2014 season, so it is in the market for an offensive tackle from the junior college ranks. Paris Palmer from Lackawanna (Pa.) College has been offered by the Gamecocks and is a native of Plymouth, N.C., so USC has proximity playing in its favor. Ohio State, Penn State Miami, Arizona State, Baylor, East Carolina and a slew of others have offered the 6-foot-8, 305-pound Palmer in addition to USC. Shawn Elliott, South Carolina’s offensive line coach and running game coordinator, is the primary recruiter-of-record. Of the five listed, Palmer is the one to feel the least confident about if you are a Gamecock fan, but truth be told not much will be known until he starts taking visits.
Link: http://southcarolina.247sports.com/Article/South-Carolina-Gamecocks-could-sign-five-of-the-top-10-JUCOS-183603
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