South Carolina offers rising star running back Mikey Dukes
June 12, 2017
Mikey Dukes rushed for more than 2,200 yards and 40 touchdowns as a sophomore last season at First Baptist School (Charleston, S.C.). On Saturday, while in town for the 7-on-7 tournament, he landed an offer from South Carolina.
Tabbed as last season’s SCISA 2A Player of the Year, Dukes also lists offers from Wake Forest and Georgia State.
He scooped up all three offers last week, after working out at each of the schools. More are certain to roll in for the 5-foot-11, 191-pound 2019 prospect, who also attended camp at Clemson.
“I heard the first couple of offers you get, you start getting more [momentum] and it starts getting rolling for you,” he said. “I’m just excited and enjoying the process.”
It began when Dukes was in the eighth grade, after he rushed for 466 yards and 2 touchdowns over six games with First Baptist’s varsity squad. The Gamecocks’ previous coaching regime led the initial charge, so Dukes was pleased when he left Columbia on Saturday.
“I thought it was going to happen last year, but it didn’t turn out. This year, it happened and it feels great to get it,” he said. “[south Carolina] feels like home. It’s like an hour and 30 minutes from my house, so that’s good.”
south-carolina-mikey-dukes
Running backs coach Bobby Bentley told Dukes about the offer before he, his family and coach were invited to sit down with coach Will Muschamp.
“[Muschamp] was just telling me how he was watching my film and like how Carolina is rebuilding, and he would love for me to be a part of it,” Dukes said.
Bentley, one of Muschamp’s initial hires upon his arrival in December 2015, has helped work the Gamecocks into strong position.
“He’s a great coach. I’ve seen the running backs he’s recruited and the running backs that have committed the last couple of years and they’ve turned out to be good, so coach Bentley is a great guy,” Dukes said. “He’s a coach, but he’s more like family to me, because he’s always asking about my parents. When I call him, he’s always asking how I’m doing and stuff, so that’s good, too.”
South Carolina’s staff will spend more time with Dukes on Wednesday when he returns for another visit, though he’s not planning to work out in the camp. A trip to Duke is on deck for Saturday.
Dukes, who’s also a standout basketball player, runs with Upward Stars on the AAU circuit. Though he’s yet to receive an offer in that sport, schools have expressed interest, including Kansas State, Rutgers, UMass, Charleston Southern, College of Charleston and Western Kentucky.
June 12, 2017
Mikey Dukes rushed for more than 2,200 yards and 40 touchdowns as a sophomore last season at First Baptist School (Charleston, S.C.). On Saturday, while in town for the 7-on-7 tournament, he landed an offer from South Carolina.
Tabbed as last season’s SCISA 2A Player of the Year, Dukes also lists offers from Wake Forest and Georgia State.
He scooped up all three offers last week, after working out at each of the schools. More are certain to roll in for the 5-foot-11, 191-pound 2019 prospect, who also attended camp at Clemson.
“I heard the first couple of offers you get, you start getting more [momentum] and it starts getting rolling for you,” he said. “I’m just excited and enjoying the process.”
It began when Dukes was in the eighth grade, after he rushed for 466 yards and 2 touchdowns over six games with First Baptist’s varsity squad. The Gamecocks’ previous coaching regime led the initial charge, so Dukes was pleased when he left Columbia on Saturday.
“I thought it was going to happen last year, but it didn’t turn out. This year, it happened and it feels great to get it,” he said. “[south Carolina] feels like home. It’s like an hour and 30 minutes from my house, so that’s good.”
south-carolina-mikey-dukes
Running backs coach Bobby Bentley told Dukes about the offer before he, his family and coach were invited to sit down with coach Will Muschamp.
“[Muschamp] was just telling me how he was watching my film and like how Carolina is rebuilding, and he would love for me to be a part of it,” Dukes said.
Bentley, one of Muschamp’s initial hires upon his arrival in December 2015, has helped work the Gamecocks into strong position.
“He’s a great coach. I’ve seen the running backs he’s recruited and the running backs that have committed the last couple of years and they’ve turned out to be good, so coach Bentley is a great guy,” Dukes said. “He’s a coach, but he’s more like family to me, because he’s always asking about my parents. When I call him, he’s always asking how I’m doing and stuff, so that’s good, too.”
South Carolina’s staff will spend more time with Dukes on Wednesday when he returns for another visit, though he’s not planning to work out in the camp. A trip to Duke is on deck for Saturday.
Dukes, who’s also a standout basketball player, runs with Upward Stars on the AAU circuit. Though he’s yet to receive an offer in that sport, schools have expressed interest, including Kansas State, Rutgers, UMass, Charleston Southern, College of Charleston and Western Kentucky.
