USC recruiting has become a lesson in hit or miss
Nov. 10, 2015
FACTS
South Carolina failed to take advantage of three straight 11-win seasons
Losing assistants Jay Graham and Shane Beamer hurt recruiting
USC can compete again soon by hiring the right head coach
The decline of the South Carolina football program didn’t begin last year, but started as USC wasin the midst of three straight 11-win seasons.
Despite finishing in the Top 10 from 2011-13, South Carolina’s success on the recruiting trail did not match its success on the field.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, which compile rankings from all major media recruiting services, the Gamecocks’ classes following 11-win seasons were ranked on average No. 19 in the country and No. 8 in the SEC. USC also finished behind Clemson in recruiting each of those years despite beating the Tigers on the field.
“I still think they have talent on the roster, but definitely the last couple of classes have not matched those seasons,” Woody Wommack, a Southeast Recruiting analyst for Rivals, said. “Some of the guys that they’ve taken have been borderline players. Guys in this year’s class were not up to the level of guys they were getting before.”
South Carolina’s 2012 class was highlighted by Shaq Roland, Mike Davis, Brock Stadnik and Kwinton Smith. None of those players are still on the roster, and only Davis turned out to be a consistent contributor.
The top five players in the 2013 class were Kelsey Griffin, Larenz Bryant, David Williams, D.J. Park and Na’Ty Rodgers. The five have combined for three starts. Rodgers is no longer on the team.
“Sometimes you don’t know what a guy’s going to be like when he gets to campus. You don’t know if he’s going to get in trouble off the field or some of the other situations that lead to guys leaving,” Wommack said.
“A lot of times there are red flags. Sometimes, South Carolina would be willing to take a risk on a guy that’s a risk academically or something like that because they think they can get him through it. A lot of coaches have faith in their system, but when you have several guys that don’t pan out, all of a sudden you’re looking at a void in talent.”
Wommack added when there is a void in talent, you have to go find junior college players or play freshmen who might not be ready. That has been an issue for South Carolina recently, especially defensively.
Coming off the best three seasons in school history, the Gamecocks played four true freshmen significant minutes on defense last year, and at times three of the four members of the secondary were true freshmen.
The results were disastrous as USC finished 94 in the nation in total defense and allowed the most passing yards and total yards in school history during its opener against Texas A&M.
Ryan Bartow, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, said the talent decline was due in large part to losing former running backs coach Jay Graham and former recruiting coordinator Shane Beamer. He added that USC only has two elite recruiters now on staff in Shawn Elliott and G.A. Mangus.
“To lose those recruiters and not replace them with guys that can recruit, that kind of added up. I think you saw the ripple effect with that,” Bartow said. “It’s got to be a program-wide base. It’s got to start with the head coach, how much time and effort they put into recruiting, how much they involve social media, how much they can appeal, because what you’re trying to do is get in the minds of these 15, 16, 17-year old kids and get them liking your program.”
Bartow said he recently visited 65 of the top players in North and South Carolina, and only three or four have the Gamecocks in their top three. In his opinion, USC should focus on the state of North Carolina more in recruiting.
“They’re behind in terms of getting on these kids and offering the kids and really making North Carolina a priority,” he said. “If you look at Clemson’s roster, a lot of their best players are from North Carolina. South Carolina didn’t even sign a guy from North Carolina last year, and they’re the closest SEC school to North Carolina, which is the seventh or eighth best state in the country for talent.”
While it is too early to judge the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes, so far the results have been mixed. Wesley Green, the third-ranked player in the 2014 class, transferred prior to this season after redshirting last year. The fourth-ranked player, Shaq Davidson, redshirted last year and is out for the year with a knee injury.
The other three top players from the class — Bryson Allen-Williams, Donell Stanley and D.J. Smith — have received minimal amounts of playing time, with Stanley mostly contributing on special teams.
For the 2015 class, Qua Lewis and Zack Bailey stepped in and were immediate contributors, while Shameik Blackshear, Dexter Wideman and Jalen Christian are redshirting.
]Number of four-star prospects in USC’s 2016 class, according to 247Sports Composite: WR Bryan Edwards, QB Brandon McIlwain and DE Jordan Smith
As far as the 2016 recruiting class, the Gamecocks have 16 commits, but have lost two since Steve Spurrier resigned. Linebacker P.J. Blue of Alabama decommitted the day Spurrier resigned and safety Marlon Character of Atlanta recently flipped to Auburn.
Wommack said South Carolina has a chance to quickly improve talent, but competing against Clemson, Florida and Georgia for recruits won’t be easy. A lot of South Carolina’s success in recruiting will depend on who the Gamecocks hire and how quickly USC makes a hire, he said.
“They’re going to have to make a move, I think quickly, when the year ends. Once mid-December hits, then it’s the dead period. If you make a coaching hire during that time, that’s a month basically where you can’t do a whole lot,” Wommack said. “If they were in the West, I think it might take a lot longer, but if they get the right guy and get the right players, I think you can start talking about a turnaround.”
HOW TOP PLAYERS HAVE FARED
Top 5 recruits from 2011-15 according to 247Sports Composite rankings:
2011
1. DE Jadeveon Clowney: The top recruit in the country lived up to the hype and was the No. 1 pick in NFL draft.
2. OT Brandon Shell: Has been a consistent presence on the offensive line since his redshirt freshmen season.
3. DT Kelcy Quarles: He played well for three seasons, earning All-American honors in 2013.
4. DT Phillip Dukes: The redshirt senior has started two games.
5. S Sheldon Royster: Redshirted his first season before transferring to Rutgers.
2012
1. WR Shaq Roland: Showed flashes of greatness, but never lived up to hype. Transferred after junior year.
2. RB Mike Davis: Had solid career at USC before moving on to NFL after junior season.
3. OL Brock Stadnik: Appeared in 13 games before his career was cut short by injuries.
4. WR Kwinton Smith: Transferred to Florence-Darlington Tech to play baseball.
5. TE Jerell Adams: Second on the team in receiving with 18 catches for 270 yards and three TDs.
2013
1. DT Kelsey Griffin: In 2.5 seasons, has recorded 26 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
2. LB Larenz Bryant: Played in 24 games in 2013 and 2014 and made 10 tackles. Has one tackle this season.
3. RB David Williams: With Brandon Wilds hurt, he was unable to take advantage. Averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
4. OL D.J. Park: Saw action mostly on special teams as a redshirt freshman and is currently a backup.
5. OL Na’Ty Rodgers: Left late last year after not receiving much playing time.
2014
1. LB Bryson Allen-Williams: Started two games as a true freshman. Has bounced around playing LB and DE.
2. OL Donell Stanley: Has played mostly on special teams.
3. CB Wesley Green: Transferred to Indiana after redshirting last year.
4. WR Shaq Davidson: Redshirted last season and is out for the year with a knee injury he suffered in preseason.
5. DB D.J. Smith: Started at strong safety against Tennessee and has played in every game, with 18 tackles.
2015
1. DE Marquavius Lewis: Juco transfer has started every game and has 35 tackles, 4.5 for loss and three sacks.
2. DE Shameik Blackshear: Has played in two games and recorded two tackles.
3. DT Dexter Wideman: Redshirting after transferring in from Camden Military Academy.
4. WR Jalen Christian: Redshirting; was slowed by a knee injury suffered during the preseason.
5. OL Zack Bailey: Has played in every game with three starts at center.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-recruiting/article43897944.html#storylink=cpy
Nov. 10, 2015
FACTS
South Carolina failed to take advantage of three straight 11-win seasons
Losing assistants Jay Graham and Shane Beamer hurt recruiting
USC can compete again soon by hiring the right head coach
The decline of the South Carolina football program didn’t begin last year, but started as USC wasin the midst of three straight 11-win seasons.
Despite finishing in the Top 10 from 2011-13, South Carolina’s success on the recruiting trail did not match its success on the field.
According to the 247Sports Composite rankings, which compile rankings from all major media recruiting services, the Gamecocks’ classes following 11-win seasons were ranked on average No. 19 in the country and No. 8 in the SEC. USC also finished behind Clemson in recruiting each of those years despite beating the Tigers on the field.
“I still think they have talent on the roster, but definitely the last couple of classes have not matched those seasons,” Woody Wommack, a Southeast Recruiting analyst for Rivals, said. “Some of the guys that they’ve taken have been borderline players. Guys in this year’s class were not up to the level of guys they were getting before.”
South Carolina’s 2012 class was highlighted by Shaq Roland, Mike Davis, Brock Stadnik and Kwinton Smith. None of those players are still on the roster, and only Davis turned out to be a consistent contributor.
The top five players in the 2013 class were Kelsey Griffin, Larenz Bryant, David Williams, D.J. Park and Na’Ty Rodgers. The five have combined for three starts. Rodgers is no longer on the team.
“Sometimes you don’t know what a guy’s going to be like when he gets to campus. You don’t know if he’s going to get in trouble off the field or some of the other situations that lead to guys leaving,” Wommack said.
“A lot of times there are red flags. Sometimes, South Carolina would be willing to take a risk on a guy that’s a risk academically or something like that because they think they can get him through it. A lot of coaches have faith in their system, but when you have several guys that don’t pan out, all of a sudden you’re looking at a void in talent.”
Wommack added when there is a void in talent, you have to go find junior college players or play freshmen who might not be ready. That has been an issue for South Carolina recently, especially defensively.
Coming off the best three seasons in school history, the Gamecocks played four true freshmen significant minutes on defense last year, and at times three of the four members of the secondary were true freshmen.
The results were disastrous as USC finished 94 in the nation in total defense and allowed the most passing yards and total yards in school history during its opener against Texas A&M.
Ryan Bartow, a national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, said the talent decline was due in large part to losing former running backs coach Jay Graham and former recruiting coordinator Shane Beamer. He added that USC only has two elite recruiters now on staff in Shawn Elliott and G.A. Mangus.
“To lose those recruiters and not replace them with guys that can recruit, that kind of added up. I think you saw the ripple effect with that,” Bartow said. “It’s got to be a program-wide base. It’s got to start with the head coach, how much time and effort they put into recruiting, how much they involve social media, how much they can appeal, because what you’re trying to do is get in the minds of these 15, 16, 17-year old kids and get them liking your program.”
Bartow said he recently visited 65 of the top players in North and South Carolina, and only three or four have the Gamecocks in their top three. In his opinion, USC should focus on the state of North Carolina more in recruiting.
“They’re behind in terms of getting on these kids and offering the kids and really making North Carolina a priority,” he said. “If you look at Clemson’s roster, a lot of their best players are from North Carolina. South Carolina didn’t even sign a guy from North Carolina last year, and they’re the closest SEC school to North Carolina, which is the seventh or eighth best state in the country for talent.”
While it is too early to judge the 2014 and 2015 recruiting classes, so far the results have been mixed. Wesley Green, the third-ranked player in the 2014 class, transferred prior to this season after redshirting last year. The fourth-ranked player, Shaq Davidson, redshirted last year and is out for the year with a knee injury.
The other three top players from the class — Bryson Allen-Williams, Donell Stanley and D.J. Smith — have received minimal amounts of playing time, with Stanley mostly contributing on special teams.
For the 2015 class, Qua Lewis and Zack Bailey stepped in and were immediate contributors, while Shameik Blackshear, Dexter Wideman and Jalen Christian are redshirting.
]Number of four-star prospects in USC’s 2016 class, according to 247Sports Composite: WR Bryan Edwards, QB Brandon McIlwain and DE Jordan Smith
As far as the 2016 recruiting class, the Gamecocks have 16 commits, but have lost two since Steve Spurrier resigned. Linebacker P.J. Blue of Alabama decommitted the day Spurrier resigned and safety Marlon Character of Atlanta recently flipped to Auburn.
Wommack said South Carolina has a chance to quickly improve talent, but competing against Clemson, Florida and Georgia for recruits won’t be easy. A lot of South Carolina’s success in recruiting will depend on who the Gamecocks hire and how quickly USC makes a hire, he said.
“They’re going to have to make a move, I think quickly, when the year ends. Once mid-December hits, then it’s the dead period. If you make a coaching hire during that time, that’s a month basically where you can’t do a whole lot,” Wommack said. “If they were in the West, I think it might take a lot longer, but if they get the right guy and get the right players, I think you can start talking about a turnaround.”
HOW TOP PLAYERS HAVE FARED
Top 5 recruits from 2011-15 according to 247Sports Composite rankings:
2011
1. DE Jadeveon Clowney: The top recruit in the country lived up to the hype and was the No. 1 pick in NFL draft.
2. OT Brandon Shell: Has been a consistent presence on the offensive line since his redshirt freshmen season.
3. DT Kelcy Quarles: He played well for three seasons, earning All-American honors in 2013.
4. DT Phillip Dukes: The redshirt senior has started two games.
5. S Sheldon Royster: Redshirted his first season before transferring to Rutgers.
2012
1. WR Shaq Roland: Showed flashes of greatness, but never lived up to hype. Transferred after junior year.
2. RB Mike Davis: Had solid career at USC before moving on to NFL after junior season.
3. OL Brock Stadnik: Appeared in 13 games before his career was cut short by injuries.
4. WR Kwinton Smith: Transferred to Florence-Darlington Tech to play baseball.
5. TE Jerell Adams: Second on the team in receiving with 18 catches for 270 yards and three TDs.
2013
1. DT Kelsey Griffin: In 2.5 seasons, has recorded 26 tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
2. LB Larenz Bryant: Played in 24 games in 2013 and 2014 and made 10 tackles. Has one tackle this season.
3. RB David Williams: With Brandon Wilds hurt, he was unable to take advantage. Averaging 3.6 yards per carry.
4. OL D.J. Park: Saw action mostly on special teams as a redshirt freshman and is currently a backup.
5. OL Na’Ty Rodgers: Left late last year after not receiving much playing time.
2014
1. LB Bryson Allen-Williams: Started two games as a true freshman. Has bounced around playing LB and DE.
2. OL Donell Stanley: Has played mostly on special teams.
3. CB Wesley Green: Transferred to Indiana after redshirting last year.
4. WR Shaq Davidson: Redshirted last season and is out for the year with a knee injury he suffered in preseason.
5. DB D.J. Smith: Started at strong safety against Tennessee and has played in every game, with 18 tackles.
2015
1. DE Marquavius Lewis: Juco transfer has started every game and has 35 tackles, 4.5 for loss and three sacks.
2. DE Shameik Blackshear: Has played in two games and recorded two tackles.
3. DT Dexter Wideman: Redshirting after transferring in from Camden Military Academy.
4. WR Jalen Christian: Redshirting; was slowed by a knee injury suffered during the preseason.
5. OL Zack Bailey: Has played in every game with three starts at center.
Read more here: http://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/usc-recruiting/article43897944.html#storylink=cpy
