Projecting the Gamecocks’ 2017 recruiting class
Jan. 2017
National Signing Day is three weeks away and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp has a handful of spots left in his 2017 class.
SEC Country takes another look at that group and who else could end up with the Gamecocks on the first Wednesday in February:
Quarterbacks
Jay Urich, a 3-star dual-threat prospect, will take his official visit to South Carolina this weekend. Urich threw for 2,055 yards with 20 touchdowns and rushed for 1,036 yards and 15 TDs for Wren High School (Piedmont, S.C.).
Tennessee emerged in the fall with an offer, but Urich never visited Knoxville even though he did consider it as a potential option. The Vols now have a 2017 quarterback committed.
Urich injured his non-throwing shoulder during the final game of his senior season, which prevented him from playing in postseason all-star games.
Running backs
There will be a time in the not-too-distant future that 3-star Kyshaun Bryan is no longer listed as a South Carolina commitment. The days have been ticking down for a little while now. Bryan (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was offered by Oregon State on Monday and apparently is in the process of lining up an official visit for next weekend. Industry trends suggest that Bryan will sign with the Beavers.
Former Wisconsin running back Caleb Kinlaw, who graduated from Goose Creek (S.C.) High School, is waiting to hear back from the South Carolina admissions office. Upon acceptance into the school, he will join the team as a preferred walk-on with a shot to earn a scholarship.
Wide receivers
OrTre Smith was among the mid-year enrollees who arrived for the first day of class on Monday. A 4-star from Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Smith continues to recover from an ankle injury he got at the end of his season.
Shi Smith, a 4-star prospect from Union, S.C., took his official visit to South Carolina in December. He’s expected to sign with the Gamecocks in three weeks.
Chad Terrell, a 3-star prospect from Dallas, Ga., hasn’t confirmed his official visit plans to South Carolina, but there shouldn’t be anything to worry about next month.
Tight ends
Longtime commitment Will Register of Chapin, S.C., will take his official visit this weekend. The 3-star commitment will sign in February.
Offensive line
The departure of assistant coach Shawn Elliott put things on pause. But with replacement Eric Wolford now on board, the Gamecocks can make their final push for one or two more prospects.
South Carolina already has commitments from Georgia Military College transfer Dennis Daley, a tackle from Columbia, S.C.; and Eric Douglas, a tackle from Charlotte, N.C. Later this year, those 3-star commitments will join Summie Carlay of Laurens, S.C., a tackle who enrolled in January.
A handful of targets are on the board for the Gamecocks. They include tackles Jordon Carty (Hollywood, Fla.), Tony Gray (Loganville, Ga.), Jordan Tucker (Roswell, Ga.) and Jordan Rhodes (Fairburn, Ga.).
Tucker, a former Tennessee commitment, will take an official visit to North Carolina this weekend. South Carolina will have him on campus the following weekend.
Gray and Rhodes will visit South Carolina this weekend. Gray will also visit Florida. Rhodes is planning to see Missouri, Mississippi State, Cincinnati and Georgia State.
The most recent word from Carty is that he’ll visit South Carolina at month’s end.
Defensive line
M.J. Webb , a 4-star end from Madison, Ga., enrolled this week. He also practiced with the Gamecocks in December before they departed for the Birmingham Bowl. End Tyreek Johnson (Sumter, S.C.) will join him after he signs in February.
Several targets remain, but Brad Johnson, Javon Kinlaw and Aaron Sterling appear to be the most likely to sign with South Carolina.
Johnson (Pendleton, S.C.) will visit South Carolina this weekend. Virginia Tech hosted the 4-star defensive end/outside linebacker in December. Tennessee is scheduled to have him in next weekend.
Kinlaw, a former commitment, will take official visits to Southern Cal and Alabama before he wraps up in Columbia. The Gamecocks are listed as his favorite for the 4-star tackle from Jones County Junior College, by way of Goose Creek, S.C.
According to Rivals, Sterling (Tucker, Ga.) will visit the same weekend as Kinlaw, Jan. 27. A former Alabama commitment, Sterling is viewed by many as a South Carolina lean.
Others remain on the radar, including Georgia defensive tackle commitment Devonte Wyatt, a former South Carolina pledge who will return to Columbia this weekend. Fellow Georgia commitment, 4-star defensive end Robert Beal, is also down as an official visitor for the Gamecocks. Both prospects hail from the Atlanta area.
3-star defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman is set to visit South Carolina this weekend. Twyman, who is from Washington, D.C., will also visit Missouri. Pittsburgh hosted him in December.
Linebackers
The four commitments: Davonne Bowen (Piedmont, S.C.), Sherrod Greene (Rocky Mount, N.C.), Damani Staley (Columbia, S.C.) and Eldridge Thompson (Memphis, Tenn.) are expected to sign in February.
Bowen and Thompson have already taken their official visits to South Carolina. Greene has confirmed that he will return this weekend for his.
Defensive backs
Clemson transfer cornerback Kaleb Chalmers (Greenwood, S.C.) and 3-star safety Jaylin Dickerson (Southern Pines, N.C.) enrolled at South Carolina on Monday. JUCO defensive back Keisean Nixon (Compton, Calif.) is waiting academic approval before he can enroll.
Two 4-star commitments, Hamsah Nasirildeen and Jamyest Williams, are considering one other option.
Nasirildeen (Concord, N.C.) still lists Florida State as an option — he took an official visit to Tallahassee in the fall. This weekend, he’ll return to Columbia for an official. Williams (Loganville, Ga.) will take an official visit to Georgia before he hits South Carolina at month’s end.
3-star safety Zay Brown is also looking at another school. He’ll take an official visit to Arkansas State next weekend.
Tavyn Jackson, a 3-star cornerback from Tallahassee, Fla., took an official visit to Maryland in December. However, he’s since firmed up his commitment to the Gamecocks.
Jan. 2017
National Signing Day is three weeks away and South Carolina coach Will Muschamp has a handful of spots left in his 2017 class.
SEC Country takes another look at that group and who else could end up with the Gamecocks on the first Wednesday in February:
Quarterbacks
Jay Urich, a 3-star dual-threat prospect, will take his official visit to South Carolina this weekend. Urich threw for 2,055 yards with 20 touchdowns and rushed for 1,036 yards and 15 TDs for Wren High School (Piedmont, S.C.).
Tennessee emerged in the fall with an offer, but Urich never visited Knoxville even though he did consider it as a potential option. The Vols now have a 2017 quarterback committed.
Urich injured his non-throwing shoulder during the final game of his senior season, which prevented him from playing in postseason all-star games.
Running backs
There will be a time in the not-too-distant future that 3-star Kyshaun Bryan is no longer listed as a South Carolina commitment. The days have been ticking down for a little while now. Bryan (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.) was offered by Oregon State on Monday and apparently is in the process of lining up an official visit for next weekend. Industry trends suggest that Bryan will sign with the Beavers.
Former Wisconsin running back Caleb Kinlaw, who graduated from Goose Creek (S.C.) High School, is waiting to hear back from the South Carolina admissions office. Upon acceptance into the school, he will join the team as a preferred walk-on with a shot to earn a scholarship.
Wide receivers
OrTre Smith was among the mid-year enrollees who arrived for the first day of class on Monday. A 4-star from Wando High School in Mount Pleasant, S.C., Smith continues to recover from an ankle injury he got at the end of his season.
Shi Smith, a 4-star prospect from Union, S.C., took his official visit to South Carolina in December. He’s expected to sign with the Gamecocks in three weeks.
Chad Terrell, a 3-star prospect from Dallas, Ga., hasn’t confirmed his official visit plans to South Carolina, but there shouldn’t be anything to worry about next month.
Tight ends
Longtime commitment Will Register of Chapin, S.C., will take his official visit this weekend. The 3-star commitment will sign in February.
Offensive line
The departure of assistant coach Shawn Elliott put things on pause. But with replacement Eric Wolford now on board, the Gamecocks can make their final push for one or two more prospects.
South Carolina already has commitments from Georgia Military College transfer Dennis Daley, a tackle from Columbia, S.C.; and Eric Douglas, a tackle from Charlotte, N.C. Later this year, those 3-star commitments will join Summie Carlay of Laurens, S.C., a tackle who enrolled in January.
A handful of targets are on the board for the Gamecocks. They include tackles Jordon Carty (Hollywood, Fla.), Tony Gray (Loganville, Ga.), Jordan Tucker (Roswell, Ga.) and Jordan Rhodes (Fairburn, Ga.).
Tucker, a former Tennessee commitment, will take an official visit to North Carolina this weekend. South Carolina will have him on campus the following weekend.
Gray and Rhodes will visit South Carolina this weekend. Gray will also visit Florida. Rhodes is planning to see Missouri, Mississippi State, Cincinnati and Georgia State.
The most recent word from Carty is that he’ll visit South Carolina at month’s end.
Defensive line
M.J. Webb , a 4-star end from Madison, Ga., enrolled this week. He also practiced with the Gamecocks in December before they departed for the Birmingham Bowl. End Tyreek Johnson (Sumter, S.C.) will join him after he signs in February.
Several targets remain, but Brad Johnson, Javon Kinlaw and Aaron Sterling appear to be the most likely to sign with South Carolina.
Johnson (Pendleton, S.C.) will visit South Carolina this weekend. Virginia Tech hosted the 4-star defensive end/outside linebacker in December. Tennessee is scheduled to have him in next weekend.
Kinlaw, a former commitment, will take official visits to Southern Cal and Alabama before he wraps up in Columbia. The Gamecocks are listed as his favorite for the 4-star tackle from Jones County Junior College, by way of Goose Creek, S.C.
According to Rivals, Sterling (Tucker, Ga.) will visit the same weekend as Kinlaw, Jan. 27. A former Alabama commitment, Sterling is viewed by many as a South Carolina lean.
Others remain on the radar, including Georgia defensive tackle commitment Devonte Wyatt, a former South Carolina pledge who will return to Columbia this weekend. Fellow Georgia commitment, 4-star defensive end Robert Beal, is also down as an official visitor for the Gamecocks. Both prospects hail from the Atlanta area.
3-star defensive tackle Jaylen Twyman is set to visit South Carolina this weekend. Twyman, who is from Washington, D.C., will also visit Missouri. Pittsburgh hosted him in December.
Linebackers
The four commitments: Davonne Bowen (Piedmont, S.C.), Sherrod Greene (Rocky Mount, N.C.), Damani Staley (Columbia, S.C.) and Eldridge Thompson (Memphis, Tenn.) are expected to sign in February.
Bowen and Thompson have already taken their official visits to South Carolina. Greene has confirmed that he will return this weekend for his.
Defensive backs
Clemson transfer cornerback Kaleb Chalmers (Greenwood, S.C.) and 3-star safety Jaylin Dickerson (Southern Pines, N.C.) enrolled at South Carolina on Monday. JUCO defensive back Keisean Nixon (Compton, Calif.) is waiting academic approval before he can enroll.
Two 4-star commitments, Hamsah Nasirildeen and Jamyest Williams, are considering one other option.
Nasirildeen (Concord, N.C.) still lists Florida State as an option — he took an official visit to Tallahassee in the fall. This weekend, he’ll return to Columbia for an official. Williams (Loganville, Ga.) will take an official visit to Georgia before he hits South Carolina at month’s end.
3-star safety Zay Brown is also looking at another school. He’ll take an official visit to Arkansas State next weekend.
Tavyn Jackson, a 3-star cornerback from Tallahassee, Fla., took an official visit to Maryland in December. However, he’s since firmed up his commitment to the Gamecocks.