Will Muschamp, Kurt Roper watch Dakereon JoynerDec. 12, 2016
Muschamp, Roper check on 4-star quarterbackMuschamp and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper made the short jaunt up to Irmo on Friday night to watch Dutch Fork High School play Fort Dorchester for the right to play in the South Carolina 5A state championship.
Among the main attractions was Fort Dorchester quarterback Dakereon Joyner, a 2018 4-star prospect who owns an offer and a countless number of trips to see the Gamecocks.
“That felt important. I’m glad they came,” Joyner said. “It was a good game. I’m so glad they came and watched us play.”
The junior rushed for 174 yards and threw for another 253 to go along with his 3 combined touchdowns.
“Coach Muschamp and Coach Roper shot me a text after the game and said they liked the way I fought until the end of the game,” Joyner said. “I just told them I appreciate them coming,”
The 49-24 loss dropped Fort Dorchester to 12-2 on the season and ended its reign as defending state champions. Despite the loss, Joyner feels “great” about what the Patriots accomplished in 2016.
“It’s so hard, people don’t understand. It’s so hard to go back to back,” Joyner said. “I didn’t realize it until Friday. We played great all season, but we came up short.
“I’ll make sure that we go back because a state championship is one of the best seasons ever.”
This fall, Joyner took several visits to South Carolina, including the East Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M games. He also went to Clemson for the season finale and N.C. State when Florida State was in town.
Dakereon Joyner led Fort Dorchester to a state title in 2015. (Hale McGranahan/SEC Country)
“They were all the same,” Joyner said of the trips to South Carolina. “All of my visits are great. I always enjoy myself when I go to Carolina. They show love. I always enjoy my time.”
As the new year approaches, Joyner will continue to weigh his options before making an announcement.
“I know my time is very short,” he said. “(I’ll) decide in June. I kind of have a top 4 that I’ll release pretty soon. I’m hearing from a lot of schools, but I have my list narrowed down to a couple of schools.”
A commitment will be announced on Father’s Day, to honor his late father, Damond Alton Joyner, who died of a heart attack when Joyner was 9.
Joyner previously released a top 10 list.
Joyner is listed as the No. 9 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2018. Overall, he’s the No. 192-ranked prospect in the country. With Xavier Thomas’ move to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Joyner is now the No. 4 overall prospect from the state of South Carolina.
Standing at 6-foot-1.5, Joyner started the season at 200 pounds, but he’s lost 10 pounds since then.
Recruiting roundupSouth Carolina and Tennessee are the finalists for JUCO cornerback Keisean Nixon, who will announce his decision on Saturday, his mother’s birthday.
Going into the visit, South Carolina was widely considered the favorite. However, the timing of his trip to Tennessee could present a potential roadblock for the Gamecocks. Word out of Knoxville is that the Tennessee staff feels encouraged about its chances.
For South Carolina, the door has been closed by 4-star safety Deangelo Gibbs, who released a top 5 list on Sunday night. The Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.) prospect took an unofficial visit to Columbia for the Tennessee game.
Tennessee commitment Tre Lawson told Phil Kornblut during the weekend that he will soon be back on the market. Lawson recently reached out to the South Carolina coaches but has not heard anything from them.
“If they don’t want to do that, I’m not tripping. It is what it is,” he said.
Muschamp, Roper check on 4-star quarterbackMuschamp and offensive coordinator Kurt Roper made the short jaunt up to Irmo on Friday night to watch Dutch Fork High School play Fort Dorchester for the right to play in the South Carolina 5A state championship.
Among the main attractions was Fort Dorchester quarterback Dakereon Joyner, a 2018 4-star prospect who owns an offer and a countless number of trips to see the Gamecocks.
“That felt important. I’m glad they came,” Joyner said. “It was a good game. I’m so glad they came and watched us play.”
The junior rushed for 174 yards and threw for another 253 to go along with his 3 combined touchdowns.
“Coach Muschamp and Coach Roper shot me a text after the game and said they liked the way I fought until the end of the game,” Joyner said. “I just told them I appreciate them coming,”
The 49-24 loss dropped Fort Dorchester to 12-2 on the season and ended its reign as defending state champions. Despite the loss, Joyner feels “great” about what the Patriots accomplished in 2016.
“It’s so hard, people don’t understand. It’s so hard to go back to back,” Joyner said. “I didn’t realize it until Friday. We played great all season, but we came up short.
“I’ll make sure that we go back because a state championship is one of the best seasons ever.”
This fall, Joyner took several visits to South Carolina, including the East Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M games. He also went to Clemson for the season finale and N.C. State when Florida State was in town.
“They were all the same,” Joyner said of the trips to South Carolina. “All of my visits are great. I always enjoy myself when I go to Carolina. They show love. I always enjoy my time.”
As the new year approaches, Joyner will continue to weigh his options before making an announcement.
“I know my time is very short,” he said. “(I’ll) decide in June. I kind of have a top 4 that I’ll release pretty soon. I’m hearing from a lot of schools, but I have my list narrowed down to a couple of schools.”
A commitment will be announced on Father’s Day, to honor his late father, Damond Alton Joyner, who died of a heart attack when Joyner was 9.
Joyner previously released a top 10 list.
Joyner is listed as the No. 9 dual-threat quarterback in the Class of 2018. Overall, he’s the No. 192-ranked prospect in the country. With Xavier Thomas’ move to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Joyner is now the No. 4 overall prospect from the state of South Carolina.
Standing at 6-foot-1.5, Joyner started the season at 200 pounds, but he’s lost 10 pounds since then.
Recruiting roundupSouth Carolina and Tennessee are the finalists for JUCO cornerback Keisean Nixon, who will announce his decision on Saturday, his mother’s birthday.
Going into the visit, South Carolina was widely considered the favorite. However, the timing of his trip to Tennessee could present a potential roadblock for the Gamecocks. Word out of Knoxville is that the Tennessee staff feels encouraged about its chances.
For South Carolina, the door has been closed by 4-star safety Deangelo Gibbs, who released a top 5 list on Sunday night. The Grayson High School (Loganville, Ga.) prospect took an unofficial visit to Columbia for the Tennessee game.
Tennessee commitment Tre Lawson told Phil Kornblut during the weekend that he will soon be back on the market. Lawson recently reached out to the South Carolina coaches but has not heard anything from them.
“If they don’t want to do that, I’m not tripping. It is what it is,” he said.