Virginia speedster will be among Gamecocks, visitors list for this weekend
SPORTSTALK / June 10, 2022
USC receivers coach Justin Stepp is always shopping for speed at his position. He found some in WR Carmelo Taylor (6-0 170) of Roanoke, VA. Taylor is the 5A 100-meter and 200-meter state champion in Virginia.He, his brother and his dad will be in Columbia this weekend for an official visit, and Stepp has Taylor’s head football coach to thank for getting the recruiting ball rolling.
“My coach sent them my film, and they liked my film and started coming to the school,” Taylor said. “They started reaching out to me and we started having conversations and started to build a bond. Coach Stepp likes my speed and route running.”
USC is the lone SEC offer for Taylor at this point, and he was thrilled to get it.
“It meant a lot to me,” Taylor said. “It got me really excited and got me to really focus in the classroom. And I’ve been training really hard in general.”
That offer put the Gamecocks right in the middle of the battle for Taylor, right along with his hometown school, which he visited unofficially Thursday.
“Definitely in the top two with Virginia Tech,” Taylor said.
Taylor said in choosing a school, there’s simply one important factor that will stand out the most to him.
“The bond,” he said.
Taylor also has an official visit set with Penn State for June 24th.
USC official visitors this weekend (scheduled and subject to change)
| FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | P | SIZE |
|---|---|---|---|
| KELTON | HENDERSON | ATH | 5-11 175 |
| JAYBRON | HARVEY | DE | 6-3 217 |
| DESMOND | UMEOZULU | DE | 6-5 220 |
| KELBY | COLLINS | DE | 6-5 250 |
| OLUWATOSIN | BABALADE | OT | 6-5 296 |
| DYLAN | LONERGAN | QB | 6-2 215 |
| DONTAVIUS | BRASWELL | RB | 5-11 200 |
| JALON | KILGORE | SAF | 6-2 196 |
| BRAYLON | JOHNSON | SAF | 6-1 170 |
| CAMERON | UPSHAW | SAF | 6-3 185 |
| CONNOR | COX | TE | 6-6 227 |
| CARMELO | TAYLOR | WR | 6-0 170 |
Other official visits this weekend for USC targets (scheduled and subject to change)
AUBURN DJ CHESTER OT USC)
GEORGIA PUP HOWARD LB (USC)
GEORGIA TYLER WILLIAMS WR (Both)
MARYLAND JADEN ROBINSON LB (USC)
MARYLAND DAVION DOZIER WR (USC)
MICHIGAN PAUL MUBENGA OG (USC)
MICHIGAN STATE JORDAN HALL LB (USC)
NORTH CAROLINA MARKEE ANDERSON OT (USC)
NORTH CAROLINA DJ GETH OT (USC)
OLE MISS AHMAD BROWN FS (USC)
PENN STATE JORDAN HALL DT (USC)
PENN STATE TREYAUN WEBB RB (USC)
PENN STATE DAKAARI NELSON SAF (USC)
TENNESSEE JALEN SMITH LB (USC)