South Carolina filled 20 spots in 2019 recruiting class. Here’s what’s next
December 20, 2018
South Carolina’s football team inked 18 players on Wednesday, filling up 20 new scholarship spots when accounting for a pair of transfers.
So what does the Gamecocks coaching staff have to do to fill out five remaining holes?
USC coach Will Muschamp pointed to a few spots of need, but preferred to fall back on an approach he put to use when coaching with the Miami Dolphins.
“Would like to add an offensive lineman in this class,” Muschamp said. “And I feel like we need to add some defensive backs. I feel good about our numbers right now, across the board, where we are. It’s kind of like when I was in the NFL and you get in the draft and it’s getting into the late rounds, you take the best available player. That’s really what I told the staff.”
At the moment, the Gamecocks’ offensive line class is sitting at four players. They were aiming to flip Indiana commit Matthew Bedford on signing day, but he stuck with the Hoosiers.
USC has usually taken around five linemen per class and is set to lose four seniors — two of them starters — and potentially center Donell Stanley.
The Gamecocks added defensive backs Cam Smith and Johnny Dixon, who Muschamp praised as a shutdown corner. That said, USC usually brings in four-plus per year at the position, and the team will again be turning over much of its defensive backfield after the season (three seniors were consistent starters).
Names that have been floating around at that spot include Chris Steele, Shilo Sanders, Jammie Robinson and Dequan Watts.
Beyond that, Muschamp has spoken about hoping to add another defensive lineman. JUCO tackle Jahkeem Green is committed, but he has to finish things out on the academic side, and four-star tackle Jaquaze Sorrells has been strongly linked to USC.
One area Muschamp said he was mostly fine with was wide receiver, where the Gamecocks added four-star Keveon Mullins and former signee Tyquan Johnson.
The Gamecocks had been somewhat linked to Jashawn Sheffield, a versatile athlete from Georgia, but he ended up pulling the trigger and signing late Wednesday with Auburn. Beyond that, the Gamecocks also have a grayshirt offer out to Mullins (S.C.) athlete Xavier Legette, a high school quarterback who is raw but has potential at receiver in college.
Muschamp didn’t rule out another pass-catcher, but fell back on his core philosophy.
‘You go back to signing the best available player,” Muschamp said. “I like our numbers at the receiver position right now and I like our room.
“But certainly you’re not going to turn down a good player.”
December 20, 2018
South Carolina’s football team inked 18 players on Wednesday, filling up 20 new scholarship spots when accounting for a pair of transfers.
So what does the Gamecocks coaching staff have to do to fill out five remaining holes?
USC coach Will Muschamp pointed to a few spots of need, but preferred to fall back on an approach he put to use when coaching with the Miami Dolphins.
“Would like to add an offensive lineman in this class,” Muschamp said. “And I feel like we need to add some defensive backs. I feel good about our numbers right now, across the board, where we are. It’s kind of like when I was in the NFL and you get in the draft and it’s getting into the late rounds, you take the best available player. That’s really what I told the staff.”
At the moment, the Gamecocks’ offensive line class is sitting at four players. They were aiming to flip Indiana commit Matthew Bedford on signing day, but he stuck with the Hoosiers.
USC has usually taken around five linemen per class and is set to lose four seniors — two of them starters — and potentially center Donell Stanley.
The Gamecocks added defensive backs Cam Smith and Johnny Dixon, who Muschamp praised as a shutdown corner. That said, USC usually brings in four-plus per year at the position, and the team will again be turning over much of its defensive backfield after the season (three seniors were consistent starters).
Names that have been floating around at that spot include Chris Steele, Shilo Sanders, Jammie Robinson and Dequan Watts.
Beyond that, Muschamp has spoken about hoping to add another defensive lineman. JUCO tackle Jahkeem Green is committed, but he has to finish things out on the academic side, and four-star tackle Jaquaze Sorrells has been strongly linked to USC.
One area Muschamp said he was mostly fine with was wide receiver, where the Gamecocks added four-star Keveon Mullins and former signee Tyquan Johnson.
The Gamecocks had been somewhat linked to Jashawn Sheffield, a versatile athlete from Georgia, but he ended up pulling the trigger and signing late Wednesday with Auburn. Beyond that, the Gamecocks also have a grayshirt offer out to Mullins (S.C.) athlete Xavier Legette, a high school quarterback who is raw but has potential at receiver in college.
Muschamp didn’t rule out another pass-catcher, but fell back on his core philosophy.
‘You go back to signing the best available player,” Muschamp said. “I like our numbers at the receiver position right now and I like our room.
“But certainly you’re not going to turn down a good player.”