Gamecocks to host multiple top-level prospects this weekend
March 01, 2018
There are plenty of recruiting items to catch up on as South Carolina moves into its first weekend of spring practice, but there’s a little local news we need to share first.
Back in action on Wednesday, following some time off in the Rocky Mountains, your up-to-the-moment editions of SpursUp Surveillance have returned, but with a twist. Starting Sunday, this space will be found in an evening time slot.
Future SpursUp Surveillance editions will run Sunday through Thursday at night, as opposed to the morning, from Monday to Friday.
But if news breaks, SEC Country will still be right here to cover it. All of this reporting, whether it’s original, confirmed or aggregated, will remain free, so don’t sweat that.
We’ll keep the anxiety right here, in our coverage of the 2019, 2020 and — as odd as it is to type and probably read — the Class of 2021.
March Madness
The month of March will present plenty of valuable opportunities for recruits to evaluate a critical factor in a decision.
How are the practices run?
What are these coaches really like?
Who’s on this team and how good of a chance do I have to actually win a starting job?
Several prominent prospects will receive an up-close look on Saturday, which is the Gamecocks’ first practice in pads.
For the short term, Rice graduate transfer safety JT Ibe is the most important guest who’s visiting South Carolina this weekend. He’ll be eligible to play one season after graduating in May. A three-year starter, Ibe has also taken official visits to Indiana and Iowa State.
Generally speaking, South Carolina and the SEC will win out over Indiana and Iowa State. Given the track records that they carry as coaches, Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson should be able to add Ibe to the Gamecocks safety position, if everything goes well this weekend.
Steven Montac, a six-game starter in 2016, is the only safety on the roster who’s started for South Carolina, so there’s clearly a need for experience at the position.
Quarterback target
There’s always a need at quarterback and one of the top 2019 targets on South Carolina’s board, Garrett Shrader, will return to campus for practice on Saturday.
Shrader (6-4.5, 200) is ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 13 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2019.
For the 3-star prospect from Charlotte (N.C.) Christian, Saturday will be his third trip to South Carolina since the end of the 2017 season. He watched the Gamecocks practice in December, prior to the Outback Bowl, before returning in January for junior day.
Saturday will be Sharder’s first on-field look at first-year quarterbacks coach Dan Werner, plus Shrader will have an opportunity to see how Bryan McClendon’s offense is going to operate, now that he’s the full-time coordinator.
“Obviously, they want you to commit,” Shrader said, during an interview with Phil Kornblut of SportsTalkSC.
“They want me to come down and hang out and get a feel for it and make sure it’s the right place for me. I told them my timeline. I’ll be done in the next month and a half. They will be in my top group. They said whenever I’m ready, they’re ready for me to pull the trigger. They said I’m the guy they want.”
Mississippi State figures to be the primary competition for South Carolina, but Penn State and West Virginia are also in the mix. Florida, one of his more recent offers, could be, too.
Terrific teammates
Four-star teammates J.R. Walker and Traveon Freshwater, both of whom are 2019 prospects, are also confirmed as guests for Saturday.
Walker, the No. 24 athlete in the country, is a 6-1, 205-pound prospect who profiles as a safety for the Gamecocks. Freshwater, who’s listed by Rivals as a 4-star weakside defensive end, checks in as the No. 8 prospect at the position.
The Northeastern High School (Elizabeth City, N.C.) visited South Carolina a little more than a year ago. Now, they’re both ranked among the top 350 prospects in the Class of 2019, according to the 247Sports composite.
Another quarterback target
Luke Doty has staked an early claim as the top 2020 quarterback from South Carolina and his offer is a pretty solid indication.
Along with South Carolina, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina State and North Carolina have offered, in addition to Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina and Temple.
Earlier this week, Doty’s father told SEC Country that they would be back in town to watch the Gamecocks practice on Saturday.
SECCOUNTRY
March 01, 2018
There are plenty of recruiting items to catch up on as South Carolina moves into its first weekend of spring practice, but there’s a little local news we need to share first.
Back in action on Wednesday, following some time off in the Rocky Mountains, your up-to-the-moment editions of SpursUp Surveillance have returned, but with a twist. Starting Sunday, this space will be found in an evening time slot.
Future SpursUp Surveillance editions will run Sunday through Thursday at night, as opposed to the morning, from Monday to Friday.
But if news breaks, SEC Country will still be right here to cover it. All of this reporting, whether it’s original, confirmed or aggregated, will remain free, so don’t sweat that.
We’ll keep the anxiety right here, in our coverage of the 2019, 2020 and — as odd as it is to type and probably read — the Class of 2021.
March Madness
The month of March will present plenty of valuable opportunities for recruits to evaluate a critical factor in a decision.
How are the practices run?
What are these coaches really like?
Who’s on this team and how good of a chance do I have to actually win a starting job?
Several prominent prospects will receive an up-close look on Saturday, which is the Gamecocks’ first practice in pads.
For the short term, Rice graduate transfer safety JT Ibe is the most important guest who’s visiting South Carolina this weekend. He’ll be eligible to play one season after graduating in May. A three-year starter, Ibe has also taken official visits to Indiana and Iowa State.
Generally speaking, South Carolina and the SEC will win out over Indiana and Iowa State. Given the track records that they carry as coaches, Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson should be able to add Ibe to the Gamecocks safety position, if everything goes well this weekend.
Steven Montac, a six-game starter in 2016, is the only safety on the roster who’s started for South Carolina, so there’s clearly a need for experience at the position.
Quarterback target
There’s always a need at quarterback and one of the top 2019 targets on South Carolina’s board, Garrett Shrader, will return to campus for practice on Saturday.
Shrader (6-4.5, 200) is ranked by the 247Sports composite as the No. 13 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2019.
For the 3-star prospect from Charlotte (N.C.) Christian, Saturday will be his third trip to South Carolina since the end of the 2017 season. He watched the Gamecocks practice in December, prior to the Outback Bowl, before returning in January for junior day.
Saturday will be Sharder’s first on-field look at first-year quarterbacks coach Dan Werner, plus Shrader will have an opportunity to see how Bryan McClendon’s offense is going to operate, now that he’s the full-time coordinator.
“Obviously, they want you to commit,” Shrader said, during an interview with Phil Kornblut of SportsTalkSC.
“They want me to come down and hang out and get a feel for it and make sure it’s the right place for me. I told them my timeline. I’ll be done in the next month and a half. They will be in my top group. They said whenever I’m ready, they’re ready for me to pull the trigger. They said I’m the guy they want.”
Mississippi State figures to be the primary competition for South Carolina, but Penn State and West Virginia are also in the mix. Florida, one of his more recent offers, could be, too.
Terrific teammates
Four-star teammates J.R. Walker and Traveon Freshwater, both of whom are 2019 prospects, are also confirmed as guests for Saturday.
Walker, the No. 24 athlete in the country, is a 6-1, 205-pound prospect who profiles as a safety for the Gamecocks. Freshwater, who’s listed by Rivals as a 4-star weakside defensive end, checks in as the No. 8 prospect at the position.
The Northeastern High School (Elizabeth City, N.C.) visited South Carolina a little more than a year ago. Now, they’re both ranked among the top 350 prospects in the Class of 2019, according to the 247Sports composite.
Another quarterback target
Luke Doty has staked an early claim as the top 2020 quarterback from South Carolina and his offer is a pretty solid indication.
Along with South Carolina, Louisville, Miami, North Carolina State and North Carolina have offered, in addition to Charlotte, Coastal Carolina, East Carolina and Temple.
Earlier this week, Doty’s father told SEC Country that they would be back in town to watch the Gamecocks practice on Saturday.
SECCOUNTRY
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