SpursUp Surveillance: Down to the wire for T.J. Moore, more on Matthew Butler, still in the mix for top juniors
July 28, 2016
Down to the wire
T.J. Moore has one final visit left before he announces which school he’ll commit to on Monday. Tennessee will get the final visit, almost a week after he was on campus for South Carolina’s cookout.
Earlier this week, the 4-star offensive lineman from Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, N.C. told Phil Kornblut that his decision is down to South Carolina and Tennessee.
“I’m looking at how many commits each school has, how many commits they got last year on the O-line, and the coaches,” Moore said.
South Carolina has three commitments to its 2017 offensive line class, which includes Moore’s teammate, Eric Douglas. The Gamecocks signed three in the 2016 haul.
Tennessee has a pair of offensive linemen committed in 2017. Three were signed in 2016.
Skinny: It’s coming down to the wire for Moore, who would be the highest rated offensive lineman in South Carolina’s class.
More on Matthew Butler
If Matthew Butler lands at South Carolina, Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson will use him in a variety of ways along the Gamecocks’ defensive line.
The 3-star defensive end from Garner, N.C. went into further detail about his second trip to Columbia for last Saturday’s cookout.
“It was more of a leisure day. I enjoyed everything, got to talk to coach T-Rob … when he and coach Muschamp were at Florida, they specialized in versatile defenses, so they need versatile players to be a versatile defense,” Butler said. “They really have a lack of those. They were just emphasizing that.
“I got to hang around some recruits in my class and the ’18 class that could potentially be my teammates. That was pretty much the purpose of the day.”
A few days before the South Carolina trip, Butler camped at Tennessee.
“Tennessee is right up there for me, just as South Carolina is … I enjoyed myself there. Both South Carolina and Tennessee have really solidified themselves as schools that are high up for me, as well as NC State and Duke, who are up there as well,” Butler said.
Skinny: Butler keeps in regular contact with Muschamp, whether that’s over the phone or via text message. South Carolina has certainly made a favorable impression on Butler, who’s now been to the school twice.
Gamecocks chasing blue-chip talent
Most South Carolina recruiting fans are interested to know how well Muschamp’s staff has fared on the recruiting trail. Other than commitments and signed letters of intent, there aren’t many ways to quantify.
One can also examine who’s visiting the school.
On Thursday, ESPN released its first edition of the 2018 Junior 300. At least 19 prospects from that list were on campus at South Carolina this summer, including the No. 1 ranked prospect, DE Xavier Thomas (Florence, S.C.).
Some of the others include ATH Xavier Williams (Hollywood, Fla.), TE K.J. Henry (Winston-Salem, N.C.), DL Stephon Wynn (Anderson, S.C.), CB Asante Samuel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), DT Rick Sandidge (Concord, N.C.), QB Artur Sitkowski (Old Bridge, N.J.), DT Josh Belk (Richburg, S.C.), OL William Barnes (Apopka, Fla.), OL Dylan Wonnum (Stone Mountain, Ga.), TE Zach Sheffer (Saint Augustine, Fla.), LB Dax Hollifield (Shelby, N.C.), OL Warren Ericson (Suwanee, Ga.) and S Randy Russell (Miami).
Skinny: Several of the prospects listed above consider South Carolina among their favorites. A respectable showing on the field in 2016 could go a long way in helping the Gamecocks reel in some of the country’s top-rated prospects from the 2018 haul.
SECCOUNTRY
July 28, 2016
Down to the wire
T.J. Moore has one final visit left before he announces which school he’ll commit to on Monday. Tennessee will get the final visit, almost a week after he was on campus for South Carolina’s cookout.
Earlier this week, the 4-star offensive lineman from Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte, N.C. told Phil Kornblut that his decision is down to South Carolina and Tennessee.
“I’m looking at how many commits each school has, how many commits they got last year on the O-line, and the coaches,” Moore said.
South Carolina has three commitments to its 2017 offensive line class, which includes Moore’s teammate, Eric Douglas. The Gamecocks signed three in the 2016 haul.
Tennessee has a pair of offensive linemen committed in 2017. Three were signed in 2016.
Skinny: It’s coming down to the wire for Moore, who would be the highest rated offensive lineman in South Carolina’s class.
More on Matthew Butler
If Matthew Butler lands at South Carolina, Muschamp and defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson will use him in a variety of ways along the Gamecocks’ defensive line.
The 3-star defensive end from Garner, N.C. went into further detail about his second trip to Columbia for last Saturday’s cookout.
“It was more of a leisure day. I enjoyed everything, got to talk to coach T-Rob … when he and coach Muschamp were at Florida, they specialized in versatile defenses, so they need versatile players to be a versatile defense,” Butler said. “They really have a lack of those. They were just emphasizing that.
“I got to hang around some recruits in my class and the ’18 class that could potentially be my teammates. That was pretty much the purpose of the day.”
A few days before the South Carolina trip, Butler camped at Tennessee.
“Tennessee is right up there for me, just as South Carolina is … I enjoyed myself there. Both South Carolina and Tennessee have really solidified themselves as schools that are high up for me, as well as NC State and Duke, who are up there as well,” Butler said.
Skinny: Butler keeps in regular contact with Muschamp, whether that’s over the phone or via text message. South Carolina has certainly made a favorable impression on Butler, who’s now been to the school twice.
Gamecocks chasing blue-chip talent
Most South Carolina recruiting fans are interested to know how well Muschamp’s staff has fared on the recruiting trail. Other than commitments and signed letters of intent, there aren’t many ways to quantify.
One can also examine who’s visiting the school.
On Thursday, ESPN released its first edition of the 2018 Junior 300. At least 19 prospects from that list were on campus at South Carolina this summer, including the No. 1 ranked prospect, DE Xavier Thomas (Florence, S.C.).
Some of the others include ATH Xavier Williams (Hollywood, Fla.), TE K.J. Henry (Winston-Salem, N.C.), DL Stephon Wynn (Anderson, S.C.), CB Asante Samuel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), DT Rick Sandidge (Concord, N.C.), QB Artur Sitkowski (Old Bridge, N.J.), DT Josh Belk (Richburg, S.C.), OL William Barnes (Apopka, Fla.), OL Dylan Wonnum (Stone Mountain, Ga.), TE Zach Sheffer (Saint Augustine, Fla.), LB Dax Hollifield (Shelby, N.C.), OL Warren Ericson (Suwanee, Ga.) and S Randy Russell (Miami).
Skinny: Several of the prospects listed above consider South Carolina among their favorites. A respectable showing on the field in 2016 could go a long way in helping the Gamecocks reel in some of the country’s top-rated prospects from the 2018 haul.
SECCOUNTRY