South Carolina recruiting: Another junior day; updating the specialists
Jan. 26, 2017
Four-star LB prospect confirmed for junior day
South Carolina welcomed a handful of juniors to campus last Saturday and it will do the same thing again this weekend.
Linebacker Dax Hollifield (Shelby, N.C.) is confirmed as a guest. The 4-star prospect is also closely considering North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
Wide receiver Marquez Ezzard (Stockbridge, Ga.) announced on Wednesday that he’d visit. The 3-star athlete landed offers from Alabama and Oregon later that evening.
Wide receiver Dennis Smith, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect from Gaffney, S.C., is also set to be on campus this weekend.
Updating the specialists
South Carolina special teams coordinator Coleman Hutzler is expected to visit Jack Driggers on Thursday.
Earlier this month, Driggers (Tallahassee, Fla.) announced that he’d received a preferred walk-on opportunity at South Carolina, to kick field goals and kick off.
Driggers has preferred walk-on offers from Duke and Oklahoma as well. Army and North Texas have offered full scholarships.
Duke hosted him for a visit this past weekend. He visited South Carolina in the fall for a game, a few months after attending the Gamecocks’ specialists camp.
On Wednesday, long snapper Ben Reeder (Greenville, S.C.) was offered by Western Kentucky. He’ll get an up-close look at the Hilltoppers this weekend during his official visit.
North Carolina recently joined South Carolina and extended Reeder a preferred walk-on offer.
Contact from the Tar Heels
SEC Country learned on Wednesday night that South Carolina quarterback commitment Jay Urich heard from North Carolina, after his official visit with the Gamecocks earlier this month.
Urich, who had his in-home visit with Muschamp earlier this week, is locked in with South Carolina.
North Carolina, of course, is looking to fill a spot with Mitch Trubisky’s early departure for the NFL.
South Carolina 2017 de-commitments
South Carolina has had seven prospects de-commit from the 2017 haul, starting with 4-star junior college wide receiver Stephen Guidry. He’s flip-flopped from his commitment to LSU but is expected to sign with the Tigers.
Devonte Wyatt (Decatur, Ga.), a 3-star defensive tackle, followed in August, two months after he committed to the Gamecocks. However, the Georgia commitment is scheduled to announce his final decision on signing day, and South Carolina is very much in play. Florida will host him for an official visit this weekend.
T.J. Moore surprised his Mallard Creek High School (Charlotte, N.C.) teammate, Eric Douglas, when he committed to South Carolina last summer. Moore de-committed, before going on to commit to Florida a couple of months later.
South Carolina and 3-star wide receiver Shawn Smith (Brunswick, Ga.) also parted ways in October, when the Gamecocks adjusted his offer to one of the greyshirt variety. Virginia landed his commitment a couple of weeks ago.
Javon Kinlaw pulled the plug on his pledge in mid-November. The Goose Creek (S.C.) High School product was placed at Jones County Junior College by Muschamp’s staff in January of 2015, but offers from high-level programs such as Alabama and Southern Cal gave him slight pause. However, he’s visiting South Carolina this weekend and is expected to hop back on board with the Gamecocks.
Two weeks after Kinlaw’s de-commitment, 3-star cornerback Damarri Mathis (Lakeland, Fla.) announced that he would look at other avenues. Pittsburgh gained his commitment shortly thereafter.
Thanks to the relentless pursuit by former South Carolina assistant coach Jay Graham, Florida State flipped 4-star safety Hamsah Nasirildeen (Concord, N.C.) in January, the day before his birthday.
Jan. 26, 2017
Four-star LB prospect confirmed for junior day
South Carolina welcomed a handful of juniors to campus last Saturday and it will do the same thing again this weekend.
Linebacker Dax Hollifield (Shelby, N.C.) is confirmed as a guest. The 4-star prospect is also closely considering North Carolina and Virginia Tech.
Wide receiver Marquez Ezzard (Stockbridge, Ga.) announced on Wednesday that he’d visit. The 3-star athlete landed offers from Alabama and Oregon later that evening.
Wide receiver Dennis Smith, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound prospect from Gaffney, S.C., is also set to be on campus this weekend.
Updating the specialists
South Carolina special teams coordinator Coleman Hutzler is expected to visit Jack Driggers on Thursday.
Earlier this month, Driggers (Tallahassee, Fla.) announced that he’d received a preferred walk-on opportunity at South Carolina, to kick field goals and kick off.
Driggers has preferred walk-on offers from Duke and Oklahoma as well. Army and North Texas have offered full scholarships.
Duke hosted him for a visit this past weekend. He visited South Carolina in the fall for a game, a few months after attending the Gamecocks’ specialists camp.
On Wednesday, long snapper Ben Reeder (Greenville, S.C.) was offered by Western Kentucky. He’ll get an up-close look at the Hilltoppers this weekend during his official visit.
North Carolina recently joined South Carolina and extended Reeder a preferred walk-on offer.
Contact from the Tar Heels
SEC Country learned on Wednesday night that South Carolina quarterback commitment Jay Urich heard from North Carolina, after his official visit with the Gamecocks earlier this month.
Urich, who had his in-home visit with Muschamp earlier this week, is locked in with South Carolina.
North Carolina, of course, is looking to fill a spot with Mitch Trubisky’s early departure for the NFL.
South Carolina 2017 de-commitments
South Carolina has had seven prospects de-commit from the 2017 haul, starting with 4-star junior college wide receiver Stephen Guidry. He’s flip-flopped from his commitment to LSU but is expected to sign with the Tigers.
Devonte Wyatt (Decatur, Ga.), a 3-star defensive tackle, followed in August, two months after he committed to the Gamecocks. However, the Georgia commitment is scheduled to announce his final decision on signing day, and South Carolina is very much in play. Florida will host him for an official visit this weekend.
T.J. Moore surprised his Mallard Creek High School (Charlotte, N.C.) teammate, Eric Douglas, when he committed to South Carolina last summer. Moore de-committed, before going on to commit to Florida a couple of months later.
South Carolina and 3-star wide receiver Shawn Smith (Brunswick, Ga.) also parted ways in October, when the Gamecocks adjusted his offer to one of the greyshirt variety. Virginia landed his commitment a couple of weeks ago.
Javon Kinlaw pulled the plug on his pledge in mid-November. The Goose Creek (S.C.) High School product was placed at Jones County Junior College by Muschamp’s staff in January of 2015, but offers from high-level programs such as Alabama and Southern Cal gave him slight pause. However, he’s visiting South Carolina this weekend and is expected to hop back on board with the Gamecocks.
Two weeks after Kinlaw’s de-commitment, 3-star cornerback Damarri Mathis (Lakeland, Fla.) announced that he would look at other avenues. Pittsburgh gained his commitment shortly thereafter.
Thanks to the relentless pursuit by former South Carolina assistant coach Jay Graham, Florida State flipped 4-star safety Hamsah Nasirildeen (Concord, N.C.) in January, the day before his birthday.