Gamecocks lose another (Offensive lineman Jozie Milton)

[FeatheredCock]

Gamecocks lose another (Offensive lineman Jozie Milton)
 
Dec. 13, 2014

Offensive lineman Jozie Milton (Clinton, La./Silliman Institute) has become the fifth decommitment of the 2015 class. The three-star prospect has flipped from South Carolina to TCU.. Milton, who committed to the Gamecocks in May

"I just don't know who is going to be coaching there in 2-3 years," Milton said. "If I redshirt, I would not even be playing for this staff. (USC offensive line coach) Shawn Elliott was the main reason I wanted to go to South Carolina."

Milton was asked if potential changes on the defensive side of the ball, including the possibility that his recruiter, defensive line coach Deke Adams, would not return to South Carolina, played an impact.

"No, I am on the other side of the ball," Milton said. "Maybe if (USC head coach) Steve Spurrier retired, though (that would have been a factor)."

Take nothing away from TCU. Milton was impressed by the Horned Frogs program, their proximity to his Louisiana home and the success they have enjoyed this season, but his decision to flip was more about the future at South Carolina than anything.

On Friday, I wrote that Spurrier's "coaching 2-3 more years comment" was damaging the Gamecocks on the recruiting trail and this was a direct result of Spurrier's comments and the uncertainty that they caused.

Remember- recruits ultimately make decisions based on comfort level and talk of an uncertain future regarding leadership in a program (i.e. having to go through a coaching change during a career) is the quickest way to derail a good class.

Milton joins JUCO offensive tackle Paris Palmer (Penn State), athlete Jaire Alexander (Louisville), offensive lineman Austin Clark (Virginia Tech) and JUCO linebacker Davon Durant (Arizona State) in decommitting from South Carolina this cycle. Palmer, Alexander and Milton's defections all came following Spurrier's comments.

 

[picknroll]

Featheredcock, back on 12/1 in the VIP Insider comments I wrote the following:

"Spurrier is not an idiot when it comes to announcing withdrawal deadlines like Presidimwit Broke Insane Odumba did in Afghanistan. If he announces a set retirement date , our recruiting dies that very same day - unless, it was a Bobby Bowden type situation but do you see a Jimbo Fisher on this staff? I sure hope not."

Well, I was wrong - Spurrier is afterall just that stupid and he did kill our recruiting the day he made his comment - not only for the 2015 class but for all future recruiting while he is here under those circumstances.. 

So... this is a problem that Spurrier has brought upon himself and, more importantly, on us. Ray Tanner needs to have a talk with Spurrier and tell him that in light of his comments and the subsequent unraveling of our recruiting class that now is the time to hire a new coach - not a coach in waiting, but a new coach. Spurrier should receive a generous settlement if he will agree to cooperate with us in finding that coach (cooperate being merely to make nothing but supportive public comments about us). If a new coach is named quickly enough he could have a new staff and get out on the road to salvage this recruiting class. Hopefully, this process is top secret and already underway and none of us know anything about it, but the problem is I just don't think Ray Tanner is smart, intuitive, experienced or aggressive enough to do something that bold. It's time to face the fact that we handed a position of crucial importance - the very LEADERSHIP of our entire Athletics Department - over to a baseball coach when we should have hired a shrewd experienced and TOUGH executive administrator. We once actually hired a guy like that - Mike McGee. He didn't fawn over the coaches, he was their boss. But when one of them needed to be defended, he was their staunchest advocate.

Anyway, we're in a hell of a tough spot now and there is no getting around that fact. We desperately need some real leadership NOW! We're on the Titanic! Ain't just a leaky boat anymore. We need something real strong real quick. McGee took us from the pink cloud of hiring Cremins to the darkest depths of Cremins leaving and then almost overnight he announced Eddie Fogler. Pretty damned strong counterpunch right there. Can Tanner do something like that? I hope so but day after day goes by and this succession problem grows in the wake of Spurrier's careless stupid comment and I see absolutely nothing being done about it. Spurrier definitely caused the issue to surface with his comment but this whole matter is an issue because it was first a problem that has been neglected to be addressed. There is only one man who is responsible for that and it is the Director of Athletics, Ray Tanner. He is the only person who can solve this problem but the questions remain - can he and will he?

 

[FeatheredCock]

We need to have a plan in the direction we are going in. A this point are future not looking good.