South Carolina recruiting mailbag: December signees and the 2018 targets
November 16, 2017
We are tackling the best question supplied by South Carolina recruiting fans each day. If you’d like to submit one, tweet to Hale McGranahan here.
Welcome to Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017.
@Timothy25617259 asks … Who can we expect on the early signing day?
During last week’s call-in show, Will Muschamp said he expected to have around 12 January enrollees. I’ve got 11 commitments down as mid-year guys, but I haven’t been able to here one way or another from a handful of guys.
Of course, you don’t have to be a mid-year enrollee to sign in December. Any 2018 prospects can sign next month.
The confirmed early enrollees:
I still don’t have confirmations one way or another from Jonathan Gipson, Tyquan Johnson and Jesus Gibbs.
Defensive end targets K.J. Henry and Jarrett Jackson will both graduate high school in December, so they’re possibilities, too.
One non-committed prospect who won’t sign until February, even if he’s committed before the December signing period is 4-star linebacker Channing Tindall.
@PackardGoose asks … Same Bruce Jr., is he actually going to walk-on at South Carolina?
Ace Sanders might be the guy to ask.
I have no insight into what Bruce is thinking, but I have a hard time seeing that actually come to fruition.
But could it happen? Sure, it seems that way.
@ralace22 asks … If Dylan Wonnum, Rick Sandidge and Jaycee Horn are sure things to South Carolina like the tea leaves are saying, why wait so long to commit? It would seem sooner would give the class more momentum, which would bring in other guys to make their four years more successful.
First of all, there’s no such thing as a sure thing in recruiting, especially before a guy is committed.
Wonnum wants to take his time, because of the way things played out with his brother, who committed to Iowa State and Indiana before jumping on board to sign with South Carolina.
I believe Sandidge, fundamentally, is in the same boat as Wonnum. All the way back in the spring, Sandidge told me point blank that he just wants to take as long as possible.
While Horn seems like a likely flip, he’s still committed, unlike several guys who were once in that class. My guess is he wants to see who ends up as Butch Jones’ successor at Tennessee.
Over the years, I’ve come to learn, on occasion, that prospects just don’t like hearing from everybody that they’re going to one school, like Tindall was with South Carolina. Perhaps that could be in a play a little bit, but I don’t know actually in play here.
As for South Carolina’s class, I think it’s going to be a top-20 haul, once it’s all said and done.
@Ironhead17 asks … Is the kid from Newberry being offered by USC?
Amir Abrams has certainly had a productive high school career, rushing for many thousands of yards, but he’s probably a little undersized for South Carolina.
Plus, the Gamecocks have two running backs committed in Fenwick and Valentine.
@chandler_harbin asks … What are your thoughts on the Channing Tindall to UGA rumors? And where do you think our class ends up when it’s all said and done?
It seems like a lot of smoke, for sure. And I’ve certainly bought into the idea, though I still list Tindall in South Carolina’s mock class, which was released earlier this week.
SECCOUNTRY
November 16, 2017
We are tackling the best question supplied by South Carolina recruiting fans each day. If you’d like to submit one, tweet to Hale McGranahan here.
Welcome to Thursday, Nov. 16, 2017.
@Timothy25617259 asks … Who can we expect on the early signing day?
During last week’s call-in show, Will Muschamp said he expected to have around 12 January enrollees. I’ve got 11 commitments down as mid-year guys, but I haven’t been able to here one way or another from a handful of guys.
Of course, you don’t have to be a mid-year enrollee to sign in December. Any 2018 prospects can sign next month.
The confirmed early enrollees:
- R.J. Roderick
- Darius Rush
- Hank Manos
- Dakereon Joyner
- Wyatt Campbell
- Deshaun Fenwick
- LaVonte Valentine
- Ernest Jones IV
- Maxwell Iyama
- Tyreek Johnson
- Kingsley Enagbare
- Jabari Ellis
I still don’t have confirmations one way or another from Jonathan Gipson, Tyquan Johnson and Jesus Gibbs.
Defensive end targets K.J. Henry and Jarrett Jackson will both graduate high school in December, so they’re possibilities, too.
One non-committed prospect who won’t sign until February, even if he’s committed before the December signing period is 4-star linebacker Channing Tindall.
@PackardGoose asks … Same Bruce Jr., is he actually going to walk-on at South Carolina?
Ace Sanders might be the guy to ask.
I have no insight into what Bruce is thinking, but I have a hard time seeing that actually come to fruition.
But could it happen? Sure, it seems that way.
@ralace22 asks … If Dylan Wonnum, Rick Sandidge and Jaycee Horn are sure things to South Carolina like the tea leaves are saying, why wait so long to commit? It would seem sooner would give the class more momentum, which would bring in other guys to make their four years more successful.
First of all, there’s no such thing as a sure thing in recruiting, especially before a guy is committed.
Wonnum wants to take his time, because of the way things played out with his brother, who committed to Iowa State and Indiana before jumping on board to sign with South Carolina.
I believe Sandidge, fundamentally, is in the same boat as Wonnum. All the way back in the spring, Sandidge told me point blank that he just wants to take as long as possible.
While Horn seems like a likely flip, he’s still committed, unlike several guys who were once in that class. My guess is he wants to see who ends up as Butch Jones’ successor at Tennessee.
Over the years, I’ve come to learn, on occasion, that prospects just don’t like hearing from everybody that they’re going to one school, like Tindall was with South Carolina. Perhaps that could be in a play a little bit, but I don’t know actually in play here.
As for South Carolina’s class, I think it’s going to be a top-20 haul, once it’s all said and done.
@Ironhead17 asks … Is the kid from Newberry being offered by USC?
Amir Abrams has certainly had a productive high school career, rushing for many thousands of yards, but he’s probably a little undersized for South Carolina.
Plus, the Gamecocks have two running backs committed in Fenwick and Valentine.
@chandler_harbin asks … What are your thoughts on the Channing Tindall to UGA rumors? And where do you think our class ends up when it’s all said and done?
It seems like a lot of smoke, for sure. And I’ve certainly bought into the idea, though I still list Tindall in South Carolina’s mock class, which was released earlier this week.
SECCOUNTRY
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