DT Josh Belk’s promise showing through; more recruits planning to visit Saturday
Oct. 28, 2016
From prospect to playerWill Mitchell had some explaining to do when defensive tackle Josh Belk picked up offers from South Carolina, LSU and Clemson within a three-day span last June.
The coach at Lewisville High School in Richburg, S.C., had to tell about the difference between prospect and player.
“He caught some crap now, because he hadn’t done anything significant for us at all in a varsity game and he had an offer from Carolina and Clemson,” Mitchell said. “And people asked — the big thing is you explain it to kids, you don’t worry about the parents.
“The two things are completely different, because he wasn’t the best player on our team, he probably isn’t the best player on our team this year, not the best football player. Now, he’s the best prospect, there’s no question about that.”
In the Class of 2018, Belk is ranked as the No. 138 overall prospect in the country. The 4-star is listed as the No. 4 overall prospect from the state of South Carolina’s loaded 2018 crop.
“But before this year,” Mitchell said. “It was all a process — he’d only played in nine football games going into his junior year.”
Belk played in six games this season before sitting out last week with a foot injury. During the stretch he recorded 40 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and blocked 4 extra-point attempts.
DT Josh Belk is considered to be among the nation’s best prospects in 2018. (Hale McGranahan/SEC Country)“He sees and understands what’s there for him,” Mitchell said, “And he wants to play in the NFL.”
With his size (6-foot-3, 292 pounds) and athleticism, Belk certainly has the potential to get there.
“You don’t see them like that,” Mitchell said. “And it’s not just big and strong. It’s agility, change of direction, first-step quickness, flexibility.”
Belk isn’t the only college prospect at Lewisville, which is one of the smallest high schools in the state.
There are two more 2018 prospects who Mitchell believes will play in college: Mikial Fourney, a 6-foot-2 cornerback and Quentin Sanders, a running back now who will play defensive back in college.
New offers outOn Wednesday night, 3-star cornerback Keisean Nixon tweeted about his offer from South Carolina. Eyebrows were raised on Thursday afternoon when he sent out another Gamecocks-related tweet.
However, no decision has been reach by Nixon, a JUCO prospect from Arizona Western College whose offer list includes Arkansas, Boise State, Cal, Mississippi State and Missouri.
South Carolina also tossed its name into the hat for 4-star tight end Joshua Moore, who’s from Yoakum (Texas) High School. The No. 11 tight end in the Class of 2018 also lists offers from Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.
https://twitter.com/_TheJoshuaMoore/status/791773397680128000
Weekend visitorsAs game day approaches, SEC Country’s confirmed weekend visitor list continues to grow.
South Carolina’s coaches will host an official guest this weekend: 3-star offensive tackle K’Rojhn Calbert, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound prospect from Warren County High School in McMinnville, Tenn.
Earlier this week, Tennessee offered Calbert, who also lists Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State among his SEC offers.
Calbert is ranked as the No. 73 offensive tackle in the Class of 2017.
Several unofficial guests are slated to be in town for Saturday’s game against Tennessee:
Oct. 28, 2016
From prospect to playerWill Mitchell had some explaining to do when defensive tackle Josh Belk picked up offers from South Carolina, LSU and Clemson within a three-day span last June.
The coach at Lewisville High School in Richburg, S.C., had to tell about the difference between prospect and player.
“He caught some crap now, because he hadn’t done anything significant for us at all in a varsity game and he had an offer from Carolina and Clemson,” Mitchell said. “And people asked — the big thing is you explain it to kids, you don’t worry about the parents.
“The two things are completely different, because he wasn’t the best player on our team, he probably isn’t the best player on our team this year, not the best football player. Now, he’s the best prospect, there’s no question about that.”
In the Class of 2018, Belk is ranked as the No. 138 overall prospect in the country. The 4-star is listed as the No. 4 overall prospect from the state of South Carolina’s loaded 2018 crop.
“But before this year,” Mitchell said. “It was all a process — he’d only played in nine football games going into his junior year.”
Belk played in six games this season before sitting out last week with a foot injury. During the stretch he recorded 40 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, 4 sacks and blocked 4 extra-point attempts.
With his size (6-foot-3, 292 pounds) and athleticism, Belk certainly has the potential to get there.
“You don’t see them like that,” Mitchell said. “And it’s not just big and strong. It’s agility, change of direction, first-step quickness, flexibility.”
Belk isn’t the only college prospect at Lewisville, which is one of the smallest high schools in the state.
There are two more 2018 prospects who Mitchell believes will play in college: Mikial Fourney, a 6-foot-2 cornerback and Quentin Sanders, a running back now who will play defensive back in college.
New offers outOn Wednesday night, 3-star cornerback Keisean Nixon tweeted about his offer from South Carolina. Eyebrows were raised on Thursday afternoon when he sent out another Gamecocks-related tweet.
However, no decision has been reach by Nixon, a JUCO prospect from Arizona Western College whose offer list includes Arkansas, Boise State, Cal, Mississippi State and Missouri.
South Carolina also tossed its name into the hat for 4-star tight end Joshua Moore, who’s from Yoakum (Texas) High School. The No. 11 tight end in the Class of 2018 also lists offers from Florida State, Oklahoma, Texas and Texas A&M.
https://twitter.com/_TheJoshuaMoore/status/791773397680128000
Weekend visitorsAs game day approaches, SEC Country’s confirmed weekend visitor list continues to grow.
South Carolina’s coaches will host an official guest this weekend: 3-star offensive tackle K’Rojhn Calbert, a 6-foot-6, 290-pound prospect from Warren County High School in McMinnville, Tenn.
Earlier this week, Tennessee offered Calbert, who also lists Florida, Kentucky and Mississippi State among his SEC offers.
Calbert is ranked as the No. 73 offensive tackle in the Class of 2017.
Several unofficial guests are slated to be in town for Saturday’s game against Tennessee:
- 2017 CB Jamyest Williams, Lawrenceville, Ga. (committed)
- 2017 CB Tavyn Jackson, Tallahassee, Fla. (committed)
- 2017 LB Davonne Bowen, Piedmont, S.C. (committed)
- 2017 LB Sherrod Greene, Rocky Mount, N.C. (committed)
- 2017 LB Damani Staley, Columbia, S.C. (committed)
- 2017 DL M.J. Webb (committed)
- 2017 OL Eric Douglas, Charlotte, N.C. (committed)
- 2017 OL Summie Carlay, Laurens, S.C. (committed)
- 2017 TE Will Register, Chapin, S.C. (committed)
- 2018 RB Jamal Elliott, Durham, N.C. (offered)
- 2018 LB/DE Eli Adams, Rock Hill, S.C. (offered)
- 2018 DT Kelijiha Brown, Saluda. S.C. (offered)
- 2018 LB Channing Tindall, Columbia, S.C. (offered)
- 2018 S Israel Mukuamu, Moncks Corner, S.C. (offered)
- 2018 CB Justin Reese, Rock Hill, S.C.
- 2018 PK B.T. Potter, Rock Hill, S.C.
- 2019 WR Jacoby Pinckney, Roebuck, S.C. (offered)
- 2019 OL Warren McClendon, Brunswick, Ga. (offered)
