SpursUp Surveillance: more on Xavier Thomas and the other headlining visitors for this weekend’s Williams-Brice openerSept. 13, 2016
The folks hoping to keep Xavier Thomas in the state of South Carolina for his college ball received a disconcerting bit of news on Saturday afternoon when the 5-star defensive end tweeted about his first venture down to Athens, Ga.
https://twitter.com/atxlete/status/774723365768728576
One might reasonably presume that South Carolina and Clemson are the other two schools in that top 3. The Gamecocks staff will get a chance Saturday to remind Thomas just how much he’s wanted in Columbia when he heads there for the Gamecocks’ home opener Saturday.
Thomas is a long way away from making a decision about his future. The 2018 prospect from Wilson High School in Florence, S.C., is in no rush to choose his future home.
“I’m taking it slowly, just enjoying it, because I’ll never get another recruiting process ever again in my life, after I graduate,” he said.
There are a couple of factors he’ll consider along the way.
“Just a school that will have an established coaching staff when I get there — there won’t be any coaching change or anything like that,” Thomas said. “Just a school that offers me the best in football and life after football and my major, which is engineering.”
More Saturday visitorsThomas won’t be the only high-profile 2018 target at Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend. The other confirmed headliners include 4-star DT Rick Sandidge and 4-star ATH Dakereon Joyner.
Sandidge, the No. 65 overall prospect in the country, is teammates with South Carolina commitment Hamsah Nasirildeen at Concord (N.C.) High School. The 247 Crystal Balllists Sandidge as a South Carolina lean. He’ll be joined in Columbia on Saturday by Nasirildeen, who’s the No. 2-ranked prospect from the state of North Carolina for 2017.
Though Joyner is ranked as the nation’s No. 13 athlete, he’s being recruited to South Carolina to play quarterback, which is his preferred position. Joyner won’t be the only prospect up from Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston. Adonicas Sanders, a 2017 WR/CB, is expected to be on campus, too. There’s no word whether 2018 WR Justin Williams will join them.
Also up from the Charleston area will be 2018 Berkeley S Israel Mukuamu, who visited Clemson last week for their home opener. Blythewood (S.C.) High School WR Jordyn Adams will attend the game, but he’s not going to be there as a recruit. His father, former South Carolina defensive line coach Deke Adams, is an assistant coach for ECU.
A few other 2018 in-state prospects without offers from South Carolina have confirmed plans to visit:
Name to knowOne prospect who hasn’t received an invite to visit South Carolina for the ECU game is 2019 WR/TE Keshawn Toney, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound prospect from Williston-Elko (S.C.) High School.
From this perspective, Toney looks like someone worthy of game day invites from the in-state powers, among others.
After three games this season, he’s totaled 16 receptions for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s also scored once on the ground and converted on a pair of 2-point attempts.
Physically, athletically and in his movements, Toney projects as a tight end to the next level. The first highlight in the video below backs up those assertions.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6273320/57c3550edfe29954184c811f
Here’s another video from this season that shows Toney should be counted among the top prospects in the state’s 2019 haul.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6273320/57d450c0f6170817bcd2e947
SECCOUNTRY
The folks hoping to keep Xavier Thomas in the state of South Carolina for his college ball received a disconcerting bit of news on Saturday afternoon when the 5-star defensive end tweeted about his first venture down to Athens, Ga.
https://twitter.com/atxlete/status/774723365768728576
One might reasonably presume that South Carolina and Clemson are the other two schools in that top 3. The Gamecocks staff will get a chance Saturday to remind Thomas just how much he’s wanted in Columbia when he heads there for the Gamecocks’ home opener Saturday.
Thomas is a long way away from making a decision about his future. The 2018 prospect from Wilson High School in Florence, S.C., is in no rush to choose his future home.
“I’m taking it slowly, just enjoying it, because I’ll never get another recruiting process ever again in my life, after I graduate,” he said.
There are a couple of factors he’ll consider along the way.
“Just a school that will have an established coaching staff when I get there — there won’t be any coaching change or anything like that,” Thomas said. “Just a school that offers me the best in football and life after football and my major, which is engineering.”
More Saturday visitorsThomas won’t be the only high-profile 2018 target at Williams-Brice Stadium this weekend. The other confirmed headliners include 4-star DT Rick Sandidge and 4-star ATH Dakereon Joyner.
Sandidge, the No. 65 overall prospect in the country, is teammates with South Carolina commitment Hamsah Nasirildeen at Concord (N.C.) High School. The 247 Crystal Balllists Sandidge as a South Carolina lean. He’ll be joined in Columbia on Saturday by Nasirildeen, who’s the No. 2-ranked prospect from the state of North Carolina for 2017.
Though Joyner is ranked as the nation’s No. 13 athlete, he’s being recruited to South Carolina to play quarterback, which is his preferred position. Joyner won’t be the only prospect up from Fort Dorchester High School in North Charleston. Adonicas Sanders, a 2017 WR/CB, is expected to be on campus, too. There’s no word whether 2018 WR Justin Williams will join them.
Also up from the Charleston area will be 2018 Berkeley S Israel Mukuamu, who visited Clemson last week for their home opener. Blythewood (S.C.) High School WR Jordyn Adams will attend the game, but he’s not going to be there as a recruit. His father, former South Carolina defensive line coach Deke Adams, is an assistant coach for ECU.
A few other 2018 in-state prospects without offers from South Carolina have confirmed plans to visit:
- QB Brayden Hawkins – Dillon High School
- CB Qauvian White – Greer High School
- LB Khalid Jones – Byrnes High School
- LB Sherrod Greene
- OL Eric Douglas
- DL M.J. Webb
- OL Summie Carlay
- TE Will Register
- S Hamsah Nasirildeen
- S Zay Brown
- LB Davonne Bowen
Name to knowOne prospect who hasn’t received an invite to visit South Carolina for the ECU game is 2019 WR/TE Keshawn Toney, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound prospect from Williston-Elko (S.C.) High School.
From this perspective, Toney looks like someone worthy of game day invites from the in-state powers, among others.
After three games this season, he’s totaled 16 receptions for 170 yards and 2 touchdowns. He’s also scored once on the ground and converted on a pair of 2-point attempts.
Physically, athletically and in his movements, Toney projects as a tight end to the next level. The first highlight in the video below backs up those assertions.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6273320/57c3550edfe29954184c811f
Here’s another video from this season that shows Toney should be counted among the top prospects in the state’s 2019 haul.
https://www.hudl.com/video/3/6273320/57d450c0f6170817bcd2e947
SECCOUNTRY