South Carolina football: The Gamecocks’ 3 most underrated 2017 recruits
Nov. 17; 2016
Will Muschamp has a penchant for finding underrated prospects, particularly on defense. Look no further than Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis, a former 3-star recruit who could be a first-round NFL draft pick next spring.
While it’s a bit too early to project which of South Carolina’s 2017 commitments will one day move on to the NFL, we can take a stab at predicting which ones will prove to be underrated as recruits.
3-star Davonne Bowen, Piedmont, S.C. – No. 55 OLB
After writing about Bowen as the most important long-term prospect in South Carolina’s 2017 class, it’s also worth noting that he’s one of the most underrated prospects.
Most recruiting-industry folks who pass out star ratings and put together rankings haven’t gotten up to speed on Bowen, who is listed as a 4-star by 247Sports. The Woodmont High School outside linebacker is classified as such by 247 and Rivals, while Scout and ESPN have him as a defensive end.
Traditionally, Scout will overlook late-blooming prospects from the state of South Carolina, and Bowen meets that criteria. He’s only a 2-star and doesn’t carry any sort of ranking, not even among in-state prospects. ESPN and Rivals rate him as a 3-star.
Kudos to 247 for recognizing what Bowen can be because that’s what this business is all about – deciphering what a player can be in 3 to 5 years. For others, the failure to recognize Bowen could be based on position because he played defensive end for most of his high school career.
But it’s not like his film from last season was weak. The highlights from his junior season show an undersized defensive end who’s the fastest guy on the field.
SECCOUNTRY
Nov. 17; 2016
Will Muschamp has a penchant for finding underrated prospects, particularly on defense. Look no further than Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis, a former 3-star recruit who could be a first-round NFL draft pick next spring.
While it’s a bit too early to project which of South Carolina’s 2017 commitments will one day move on to the NFL, we can take a stab at predicting which ones will prove to be underrated as recruits.
3-star Davonne Bowen, Piedmont, S.C. – No. 55 OLB
After writing about Bowen as the most important long-term prospect in South Carolina’s 2017 class, it’s also worth noting that he’s one of the most underrated prospects.
Most recruiting-industry folks who pass out star ratings and put together rankings haven’t gotten up to speed on Bowen, who is listed as a 4-star by 247Sports. The Woodmont High School outside linebacker is classified as such by 247 and Rivals, while Scout and ESPN have him as a defensive end.
Traditionally, Scout will overlook late-blooming prospects from the state of South Carolina, and Bowen meets that criteria. He’s only a 2-star and doesn’t carry any sort of ranking, not even among in-state prospects. ESPN and Rivals rate him as a 3-star.
Kudos to 247 for recognizing what Bowen can be because that’s what this business is all about – deciphering what a player can be in 3 to 5 years. For others, the failure to recognize Bowen could be based on position because he played defensive end for most of his high school career.
But it’s not like his film from last season was weak. The highlights from his junior season show an undersized defensive end who’s the fastest guy on the field.
SECCOUNTRY