South Carolina football: more visitors on campus for monster recruiting weekend
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina football is hosting a group of talented recruits.
Shane Beamer is hosting his second major recruiting weekend of the Summer, with nearly a dozen highly touted prospects coming to Columbia to check out the South Carolina football program. Last weekend, the Gamecocks hosted a handful of four-star visitors in hopes of landing an eventual commitment.
This week’s group consists of five defenders and five players on offense. South Carolina is looking to upgrade its talent and depth on the football field, and hard work on the recruiting trail is the quickest route. Let’s break down the visitors, and their chances of making a pledge to the program.
The 5-star product
Sam McCall, a current Florida State commitment, will be on campus due to his relationship with Gamecocks’ defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. While it will be difficult to flip the Seminole pledge, Gray has been influential enough to convince McCall to take a visit. Prior to joining the staff in Columbia, Gray worked at Florida and had the Gators at the top of McCall’s list. The defender even made a commitment, one he dropped upon Gray’s departure from Gainesville.
It’s going to be tough to pull McCall out of the Sunshine State, but it’s obvious that Gray has an impact on his decision. While an eventual flip may be unlikely, you can never say never with the history between recruit and coach.
More help on defense…
Four-star linebacker Stone Blanton and four-star cornerback Nick Cull are also on campus. Blanton is considered one of the top linebacking prospects in the nation, and while the Gamecocks are in the top group, the Mississippi native is viewed as a Mississippi State lean. That could change with a big visit, and Blanton fits a position of need for South Carolina.
Nick Cull, a defensive back from Georgia, has visits lined up with the Gamecocks and Miami. South Carolina’s secondary depth is extremely thin, and coach Gray could provide the corner with a quick path to early playing time.
South Carolina is in great shape with safety Jyvonte McClendon, who could be on commitment watch following the weekend visit. He plays in the same secondary as the previously mentioned Sam McCall, and maybe he can help with the recruitment of the five-star product. This looks to be a battle between the Gamecocks and Miami, with South Carolina recently receiving five ‘crystal ball’ predictions to land his pledge.
And on offense…
Wideouts CJ Smith and Peter Kikwata are huge targets for the Gamecocks in the ’22 class. Smith, a track star from Florida, is a lean to the hometown Gators, but the Gamecocks have been prioritizing the speedster over the last few weeks. Kikwata, who comes from the fertile DMV area that Shane Beamer is oh-so-familiar with, has been heavily involved with the Gamecocks over the last few months of his recruitment. Both could provide immediate help in a South Carolina wide receiver room that’s the thinnest position group on the offense.
Also on campus is offensive tackle Ryan Brubaker, who appears to have South Carolina in his top group, alongside Penn State. The Keystone State native is a top 300 player, and one of the better offensive line prospects in the class of ’22. He could be opening up holes for running back Jaylon Glover, a four-star rusher and teammate of visitors Sam McCall and Jyvonte McClendon. Like McCall, Glover appears to be a Florida State lean, but anything can happen when you get prospects on campus.
Already in the boat
There will be two members of the current class on campus, too. Offensive lineman Grayson Mains and defensive back Kajuan Banks will both be in Columbia, and will be looking to help the Gamecocks bag some of these talented prospects. Mains, a three-star tackle from Georgia, committed back in April, while the cornerback, Banks, made his pledge the following month.