SpursUp Surveillance: Moving forward after Sunday’s commitmentSept. 12, 2016
From day one, most folks in the recruiting industry believed OrTre Smith was going to play college football at Clemson. But thanks to the consistent recruitment by Muschamp and his staff, the Gamecocks distinguished themselves and were able to land the state’s No. 1 2017 prospect on Sunday.
“They just showed a lot of love. They always kept up with me. They always texted me. It stood out to me,” Smith told reporters on Sunday.
That wasn’t always the case with Clemson. Not only did the Tigers drag their feet on offering, but when they did, Smith wasn’t made a priority. It took until late spring/early summer for Smith to get word from Pickens County that he was truly coveted. By then, South Carolina had already positioned itself as the team to beat.
“Coach Muschamp said I’m a priority and he needed me,” Smith said. “And I can contribute as soon as I get there.”
It also helped that Clemson’s roster is loaded with elite wide receiver talent, so the path to early playing time in Columbia was far less crowded.
Consistency was key here. Smith knew exactly where he stood with Muschamp the moment he arrived to South Carolina. It paid off and the 4-star WR from Wando High School (Mount Pleasant, (S.C.) became commitment No. 23 for the Gamecocks.
Up next for South CarolinaAll eyes turn back to the Upstate, specifically Pendleton High School, home of 3-star DE Brad Johnson, who many believe will be the final in-state piece to South Carolina’s 2017 puzzle.
Last week, Johnson’s coach told Phil Kornblut that a few official visits were in the works.
Though South Carolina wasn’t mentioned as an official destination this season, it might be telling that Johnson has mapped out four stops, which would leave him with one more to take, assuming the trips are made to Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Michigan State and Notre Dame.
What’s left in 2017The answer: not much.
Though the commitment list on 247Sports and Rivals includes 22 names, South Carolina’s 2017 class has 23 members right now – DT Javon Kinlaw isn’t included.
Remember, the former 4-star recruit from Goose Creek, S.C. who’s currently enrolled at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi is on track to enroll at South Carolina by next summer.
With only two spots left in the Gamecocks class, space is at a premium. On offense, for all intents and purposes, they’re done. It would probably require a de-commitment for someone else to jump on board on that side of the ball.
Defensively, the list of targets is rather short. Of course, there’s Johnson, who could be a hybrid edge-type player for the Gamecocks. SEC Country continues to monitor 3-star DE Matthew Butler (Garner, N.C.). He’s another hybrid player, but one whose versatility would be featured across the line. Also, there’s still 3-star DT Romello Martin (Brooklyn, N.C.).
Former Georgia S Johnathan Abram, a teammate of Kinlaw’s at Jones County, told SEC Country last week that he’s considered Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Houston. South Carolina was once thought to be in the mix, but that no longer appears to be the case.
SECCOUNTRY
From day one, most folks in the recruiting industry believed OrTre Smith was going to play college football at Clemson. But thanks to the consistent recruitment by Muschamp and his staff, the Gamecocks distinguished themselves and were able to land the state’s No. 1 2017 prospect on Sunday.
“They just showed a lot of love. They always kept up with me. They always texted me. It stood out to me,” Smith told reporters on Sunday.
That wasn’t always the case with Clemson. Not only did the Tigers drag their feet on offering, but when they did, Smith wasn’t made a priority. It took until late spring/early summer for Smith to get word from Pickens County that he was truly coveted. By then, South Carolina had already positioned itself as the team to beat.
“Coach Muschamp said I’m a priority and he needed me,” Smith said. “And I can contribute as soon as I get there.”
It also helped that Clemson’s roster is loaded with elite wide receiver talent, so the path to early playing time in Columbia was far less crowded.
Consistency was key here. Smith knew exactly where he stood with Muschamp the moment he arrived to South Carolina. It paid off and the 4-star WR from Wando High School (Mount Pleasant, (S.C.) became commitment No. 23 for the Gamecocks.
Up next for South CarolinaAll eyes turn back to the Upstate, specifically Pendleton High School, home of 3-star DE Brad Johnson, who many believe will be the final in-state piece to South Carolina’s 2017 puzzle.
Last week, Johnson’s coach told Phil Kornblut that a few official visits were in the works.
Though South Carolina wasn’t mentioned as an official destination this season, it might be telling that Johnson has mapped out four stops, which would leave him with one more to take, assuming the trips are made to Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Michigan State and Notre Dame.
What’s left in 2017The answer: not much.
Though the commitment list on 247Sports and Rivals includes 22 names, South Carolina’s 2017 class has 23 members right now – DT Javon Kinlaw isn’t included.
Remember, the former 4-star recruit from Goose Creek, S.C. who’s currently enrolled at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi is on track to enroll at South Carolina by next summer.
With only two spots left in the Gamecocks class, space is at a premium. On offense, for all intents and purposes, they’re done. It would probably require a de-commitment for someone else to jump on board on that side of the ball.
Defensively, the list of targets is rather short. Of course, there’s Johnson, who could be a hybrid edge-type player for the Gamecocks. SEC Country continues to monitor 3-star DE Matthew Butler (Garner, N.C.). He’s another hybrid player, but one whose versatility would be featured across the line. Also, there’s still 3-star DT Romello Martin (Brooklyn, N.C.).
Former Georgia S Johnathan Abram, a teammate of Kinlaw’s at Jones County, told SEC Country last week that he’s considered Alabama, LSU, Tennessee and Houston. South Carolina was once thought to be in the mix, but that no longer appears to be the case.
SECCOUNTRY
