How Will Muschamp balances old targets, new opportunities with second signing day
January 22, 2018
There’s a balance the South Carolina football staff and coach Will Muschamp had to strike.
In signing 20 recruits in December, they got the advantage of security. They know what they have, get players on campus earlier, but it also creates a scarcity. USC should have only four spots left, and while three are held by currently committed players, that doesn’t mean all will make it to signing in February.
So a staff has to adapt and reassess the landscape. Many schools signed the majority of their classes already, so the remaining players are in some ways in more demand.
“When you start slotting out your scholarships,” Muschamp said. “We have a number at each position we want to have on our football team. But we’re never going to turn down a good player. But what you can’t do is let your numbers get out of whack, whether it’s too low or too many of a certain position. We have a prescription that I kind of go through that I want.”
On the night of the early signing day, Muschamp said he was going into the next month looking at only four or five 2018 kids. That group almost assuredly includes four-stars Dylan Wonnum and Rick Sandidge. Others who didn’t sign came into the mix, such as recent Arkansas decommit John Mincey and Virginia commit D.J. Brown.
Muschamp said some of the approach he brings to talent evaluation comes from going through the draft process as a coordinator with the Miami Dolphins.
At the moment, USC’s class has four defensive backs, four defensive linemen, two linebackers, three receivers, two running backs, one quarterback and four offensive linemen. Muschamp has said he’d like another lineman on either side (likely Sandidge and Wonnum), and local product Bryce Thompson projects on defense, though he could be explosive with the ball in his hands.
USC has another few weeks to lock in on the big targets and, perhaps, scoop up a player or two caught in the churn of the now two-round signing process.
“We’re very descriptive as far as the numbers we’re going to take by position,” Muschamp said. “Our assistant coaches know that.
“We talk about this every single day. We discuss recruiting every single day.”
January 22, 2018
There’s a balance the South Carolina football staff and coach Will Muschamp had to strike.
In signing 20 recruits in December, they got the advantage of security. They know what they have, get players on campus earlier, but it also creates a scarcity. USC should have only four spots left, and while three are held by currently committed players, that doesn’t mean all will make it to signing in February.
So a staff has to adapt and reassess the landscape. Many schools signed the majority of their classes already, so the remaining players are in some ways in more demand.
“When you start slotting out your scholarships,” Muschamp said. “We have a number at each position we want to have on our football team. But we’re never going to turn down a good player. But what you can’t do is let your numbers get out of whack, whether it’s too low or too many of a certain position. We have a prescription that I kind of go through that I want.”
On the night of the early signing day, Muschamp said he was going into the next month looking at only four or five 2018 kids. That group almost assuredly includes four-stars Dylan Wonnum and Rick Sandidge. Others who didn’t sign came into the mix, such as recent Arkansas decommit John Mincey and Virginia commit D.J. Brown.
Muschamp said some of the approach he brings to talent evaluation comes from going through the draft process as a coordinator with the Miami Dolphins.
At the moment, USC’s class has four defensive backs, four defensive linemen, two linebackers, three receivers, two running backs, one quarterback and four offensive linemen. Muschamp has said he’d like another lineman on either side (likely Sandidge and Wonnum), and local product Bryce Thompson projects on defense, though he could be explosive with the ball in his hands.
USC has another few weeks to lock in on the big targets and, perhaps, scoop up a player or two caught in the churn of the now two-round signing process.
“We’re very descriptive as far as the numbers we’re going to take by position,” Muschamp said. “Our assistant coaches know that.
“We talk about this every single day. We discuss recruiting every single day.”