It’s been a busy week for South Carolina on the recruiting trail with new offers going out and the board at several key positions being reshuffled because of programs getting commitments from prospects the Gamecocks were recruiting.
South Carolina quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus has a very specific set of criteria he looks for when recruiting signal callers.
Here’s a look back at all of the happenings in recruiting for USC this week.
Obviously, the biggest news of this past week was four-star quarterback Christian Hackenberg (Fork Union, Va.) committing to Penn State over Miami (Fla.), Alabama and the Gamecocks. USC quarterbacks coach G.A. Mangus went on the record with TheBigSpur.com last week about what he looks for in a signal caller, including the various traits that he desires in the players at that position he recruits.
“Intangibles are the first thing I try to look at and identify them as a winner,” Mangus said. “That’s the most important thing when I’m recruiting a quarterback and always has been. That will never change.”
Link: Mangus explains QB recruiting
So with Hackenberg heading to State College, Mangus and the Gamecocks will focus their attention on other prospects. Four-star New Jersey signal caller Kevin Olsen is one player that USC has its eye on, along with others.
Link: USC quarterback recruiting
Another name to watch is Connor Mitch from Raleigh (N.C.) Wakefield, who will visit South Carolina soon.
Defensive end Devante Covington is the second prospect from Richmond High in Rockingham, N.C., that South Carolina has offered this recruiting cycle. The school is the alma mater of Melvin Ingram, who starred for USC this past season and is a likely first-round pick in April's NFL Draft.
The nation’s top offensive guard, Tyrone Crowder, played early in his high school career at Greer (S.C.) and currently plays at Richmond High in Rockingham, N.C., the alma mater of soon-to-be first round draft pick and former Gamecock Melvin Ingram. Crowder is one of several “most wanted recruits” here in the early stages of the 2013 cycle.
Link: Class of 2013 most wanted
South Carolina also recently offered a second prospect from Richmond, defensive end Devante Covington, who said he was “in shock” when he received the offer from the Gamecocks. He was in Columbia for the Clemson game this past November and hopes to attend the USC Junior Day on March 31.
Link: Covington talks USC offer
New South Carolina assistant Joe Robinson continues to be extremely active on the recruiting trail early in this cycle. Late last week, he reached into Louisiana to make a new offer at defensive tackle in three-star Antonio Mcghee (Bossier City, La./Parkway). He is currently the No. 39 prospect in the Pelican State in this class.
Link: New defensive tackle offer
Four-star defensive tackle Jay Ellison (Hamilton, Ga./Harris County) has Auburn firmly in the lead, but he still says that he wants to check out South Carolina. The Gamecocks have had an offer on the table for the 6-foot-2, 275-pounder for some time.
Four-star receiver Tramel Terry of Goose Creek is the state of South Carolina's top prospect for the Class of 2013 and has held a Gamecock offer since he was a freshman. His recruitment is shaping up to be a three-way battle with USC, Clemson and Georgia all in the mix.
Link: Ellison talks recruiting
It’s never too early to offer top in-state prospects and the Gamecocks are the first ones in for Class of 2015 quarterback/athlete Kelly Bryant of Abbeville. He had nearly 1,000 yards on offense as a freshman and also is getting attention from Clemson, which had him on campus for its game with Wake Forest last year and on junior day recently.
Class of 2012 Gamecock signee Kwinton Smith is being scouted by a Major League Baseball team. He plans to play both football and baseball at Carolina.
Quick notes on South Carolina offensive line target Aulden Bynum wide receiver target Tramel Terry and more included a breakdown of Clemson and Georgia’s chances with Terry. Both programs have made strong moves for the state’s top prospect of late.
South Carolina and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward did an excellent job recruiting Stephenson High in the 2011 class. Could USC be in the mix to land another prospect from Stephenson in Ali Groves? We think that once he comes to campus, the Gamecocks could be in great shape.
Four-star center Bryce King has offers from multiple programs throughout the country. South Carolina has been considered the team to beat for some time, but for right now, he's enjoying what's happening.
Link: Groves next at Stephenson
Mangus has long-standing ties to the Philadelphia area and the Gamecocks are a player for four-star running back David Williams, one of the top prospects in the City of Brotherly Love in the 2013 class. Notre Dame also is a big factor and Williams says he plans to visit Columbia in the near future.
Link: Gamecocks in the mix for Williams
Four-star center Bryce King (Dillon, S.C.) has a lengthy list of suitors and is enjoying the recruiting process to date. Most believe that he ends up in Columbia when all is said and done, but for now, he’s looking at a lot of different programs.
Link: Bryce King enjoying recruiting
Three-star wide receiver Corey Cooper (Raleigh, N.C.) Millbrook remembers Chris Culliver and Reggie Bowens signed with South Carolina from his area, so he was excited about getting an offer from Robinson and the Gamecocks and has high interest. He’s expected to be at USC for its next Junior Day on March 31.
Gamecocks in the mix for 3-star
Class of 2014 linebacker Joe Blue (Dillon, S.C.) is excited about the early offers he has been receiving. Florida, South Carolina, Virginia Tech, Auburn and Georgia Tech all have offered the 5-foot-11, 215-pounder.
The recruitment of four-star offensive tackle Devondre Seymour is shaping up to be a battle between South Carolina and Georgia.
Link: Blue excited about early interest
Another Class of 2014 prospect from the Pee Dee, offensive tackle Donnell Stanley (Latta), has been on campus multiple times and at this point, both in-state programs, Clemson and South Carolina, are strongly in the chase for the 2014 All-American according to 247Sports.
Link: The latest on 2014 All-American
Continuing in the Class of 2014 in-state, Goose Creek running back Caleb Kinlaw has the Gamecocks on top early, but watch out for Virginia Tech, where he has strong family ties. Should the Hokies offer, they will be a huge factor.
Link: Carolina leads for Kinlaw
South Carolina is clearly in the mix for the nephew of Columbia native, current NFL and former Georgia standout Richard Seymour, Devondre Seymour (North Gwinnett, Ga.), who is one of the top offensive tackle prospects in the country. Mangus and the Gamecocks, though, will have to battle the Bulldogs, who also are in the mix early.
Link: UGA, USC battle for Seymour
Also at North Gwinnett, the Gamecocks real close to offering three-star athlete Donnie Miles, one of the top secondary prospects in the Atlanta area. The Miami native recently picked up his first offer, from Tennessee,
Link: Miles thinks offer is close
Four-star defensive end Frank Herron likes South Carolina and got an offer from the Gamecocks recently. The Memphis defensive end has seen his stock rise in recent weeks and is going to be one of the more heavily-recruited players in the Mid-South in this recruiting cycle.
Link: Memphis DE high on the Gamecocks
247Sports National Analyst Barton Simmons recently met with Herron at his high school and reported back that South Carolina has definitely positioned itself well with the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder.
Link: Herron is high on South Carolina
Speaking of talented jumbo athletes, Mangus has gotten on one of the top prospects in the nation’s capitol in four-star offensive tackle Derwin Gray. Gray has a host of suitors and South Carolina hopes to get him on campus in the near future.
Link: Grey talks latest offers
Resources
Link: TBS Article Archive
2013 Gamecock Targets
Link: Palmetto Proving Grounds
