Zacch Pickens, USC’s first 5-star under Muschamp, ‘ready to go play now’
December 19, 2018
T.L. Hanna star Zacch Pickens officially signed with South Carolina on Wednesday, becoming the first five-star signee for the Gamecocks since Jadeveon Clowney in 2011.
Up next for Pickens is trying to help South Carolina’s program get back to playing like it did when Clowney was at USC as the Gamecocks won 11 games and finished in the top 10 all three years that Clowney was in Columbia.
“That’s the main goal right there, trying to rebuild,” Pickens said after his signing ceremony at T.L. Hanna High in Anderson. “To get more people to South Carolina because everybody was really kind of avoiding it. I just want more people to come. We just need a few more people and we’re fine.”
Pickens, who was named South Carolina’s Mr. Football on Saturday, is aiming to come in and play immediately.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive lineman has the physical tools to be able to do so after finishing with 87 tackles and 15 tackles for loss as a senior in 2018.
In addition to winning Mr. Football over the weekend, Pickens was also named South Carolina’s Defensive MVP in the Shrine Bowl after recording seven tackles and a pass break-up.
“I’m ready to go play now,” said Pickens, who will enroll early and arrive at South Carolina on Jan. 8. “I’m going to try my best to get down there and hurry up and learn the plays so I can start my freshman year.”
T.L. Hanna coach Jeff Herron believes his star player has the potential to be a difference maker for the Gamecocks.
“I’ve been fortunate to coach a lot of really, really good players, but I’ve never had one with his size and his athleticism. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Herron said. “I think he’s ready... I haven’t been to South Carolina’s practices so I don’t know, but I just can’t imagine they have a whole lot of them that are better than him.”
While Pickens is rated as a five-star prospect and one of the top defensive linemen in the country, even he didn’t realize how good he was until the Shrine Bowl last week.
Performing well at practices and during the game against the best offensive linemen in South Carolina and North Carolina showed Pickens just what he is capable of.
“The Shrine Bowl, that’s when I actually thought I could play at the college level. I really doubted myself trying to see if I was really as good as what everybody was saying because I thought I wasn’t. It was just all the hype. So I actually showed myself that I can play with them,” Pickens said. “I went against competition that’s almost similar as me that had offers, that played great. I always played against people that were smaller (during the season), so going there, that made me feel like I could play.”
Pickens will get to see how he stacks up against some of the other top players in the country at the Under Armour All-American game next month. The game will be held Jan. 3 on ESPN2.
Then it’s off to South Carolina where Pickens will be working on the field to help the Gamecocks, as well as on the recruiting trail.
“Just be ready to work, just have fun and enjoy it. When you come to South Carolina that’s all we’re going to do is just have fun and play our game,” Pickens said of his recruiting pitch to other prospects. “Just stay focused, one thing at a time and work our way up. We should be pretty good. I just can’t wait to experience it.”
December 19, 2018
T.L. Hanna star Zacch Pickens officially signed with South Carolina on Wednesday, becoming the first five-star signee for the Gamecocks since Jadeveon Clowney in 2011.
Up next for Pickens is trying to help South Carolina’s program get back to playing like it did when Clowney was at USC as the Gamecocks won 11 games and finished in the top 10 all three years that Clowney was in Columbia.
“That’s the main goal right there, trying to rebuild,” Pickens said after his signing ceremony at T.L. Hanna High in Anderson. “To get more people to South Carolina because everybody was really kind of avoiding it. I just want more people to come. We just need a few more people and we’re fine.”
Pickens, who was named South Carolina’s Mr. Football on Saturday, is aiming to come in and play immediately.
The 6-foot-5, 290-pound defensive lineman has the physical tools to be able to do so after finishing with 87 tackles and 15 tackles for loss as a senior in 2018.
In addition to winning Mr. Football over the weekend, Pickens was also named South Carolina’s Defensive MVP in the Shrine Bowl after recording seven tackles and a pass break-up.
“I’m ready to go play now,” said Pickens, who will enroll early and arrive at South Carolina on Jan. 8. “I’m going to try my best to get down there and hurry up and learn the plays so I can start my freshman year.”
T.L. Hanna coach Jeff Herron believes his star player has the potential to be a difference maker for the Gamecocks.
“I’ve been fortunate to coach a lot of really, really good players, but I’ve never had one with his size and his athleticism. That’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing,” Herron said. “I think he’s ready... I haven’t been to South Carolina’s practices so I don’t know, but I just can’t imagine they have a whole lot of them that are better than him.”
While Pickens is rated as a five-star prospect and one of the top defensive linemen in the country, even he didn’t realize how good he was until the Shrine Bowl last week.
Performing well at practices and during the game against the best offensive linemen in South Carolina and North Carolina showed Pickens just what he is capable of.
“The Shrine Bowl, that’s when I actually thought I could play at the college level. I really doubted myself trying to see if I was really as good as what everybody was saying because I thought I wasn’t. It was just all the hype. So I actually showed myself that I can play with them,” Pickens said. “I went against competition that’s almost similar as me that had offers, that played great. I always played against people that were smaller (during the season), so going there, that made me feel like I could play.”
Pickens will get to see how he stacks up against some of the other top players in the country at the Under Armour All-American game next month. The game will be held Jan. 3 on ESPN2.
Then it’s off to South Carolina where Pickens will be working on the field to help the Gamecocks, as well as on the recruiting trail.
“Just be ready to work, just have fun and enjoy it. When you come to South Carolina that’s all we’re going to do is just have fun and play our game,” Pickens said of his recruiting pitch to other prospects. “Just stay focused, one thing at a time and work our way up. We should be pretty good. I just can’t wait to experience it.”