Gamecocks hoping to strike the right chord with Nashville receiver
SPORTSTALK / June 17, 202
Nashville may be most famous as the country music hub of the world. But if you scrub a little deeper, you can find some outstanding high school football players as well. USC receivers coach Justin Stepp is hoping one of those might join the Gamecocks in the near future.London Humphreys (6-2 195) of CPA HS in Nashville is coming off a 1,100-yard, 14 touchdown performance in his junior campaign and those numbers have caught the eye of Stepp and the Gamecocks, and they may have a little help on the recruiting trail inside the Humphreys’ living room.
“My mom went there and was a track athlete,” Humphreys said, bragging about the former USC heptathlete. “When it comes to Coach Stepp, he is an awesome guy. Him and Coach (Marcus) Satterfield, they’re very personal. They get to know you and get to know your family. Just see how you’re doing as a person, not just in football, which I think is awesome.”
Humphreys is clearly taken by the Gamecocks and likes the comparisons he’s getting from another USC recruit.
“The way he was talking to me about it, he just signed Landon Samson out of Texas. He said I’m very similar to him,” Humphreys said. “Athletically, speed wise, jumping wise, I’m just taller. I’m a bigger physically sized receiver and would play an outside receiver type deal. That’s how he kind of compared me. He showed me some of his stuff, what he likes and compared it to my film. Just getting to learn how he likes to coach has been very interesting and enjoyable.”
The rising senior hasn’t taken a visit to USC but is looking at an official visit on June 25th for the cookout the Gamecocks are staging. In the meantime, he’s kept a sharp eye on the progress of the Gamecocks under the direction of Shane Beamer.
“Coach (Shane) Beamer texted and he’s just checking on me, asking how I’m doing. They (the staff) love to get to know their players and spend time with them outside of just talking about football,” Humphreys said. “The SEC is the hardest conference by far. It’s always hard to just jump in and dominate right away. Just looks on the up-and-up with Coach Beamer there. All good things are coming, I think”.
Humphreys visited Virginia officially last weekend and has also visited Alabama. He said he could take a trip over to his hometown school of Vanderbilt, adding that it wouldn’t need to be an official visit because it’s so close. Humphreys, who also has offers from Appalachian State, Air Force, Boston College, Kansas, Charlotte, Liberty, Memphis, Tulane and others says he hopes to wrap up his college choice in the coming months.
“Towards the end of summer or very early in the football season, I want to kind of have that decision done and enjoy my senior season,” Humphreys said. “Go through that knowing where I want to go to school and still build that connection and learn more about the school and the plays. That’s what I’m shooting for.”
Humphreys is also a track standout and won the state championship as a sophomore in the long jump.