Shaq Wilson shares some of the keys to South Carolina's recruiting success under Steve Spurrier
The newest episode to the podcast series “BLEAV in South Carolina” with me, Marcus Lattimore, and Nick Klos on the BLEAV Network is live.
On this week’s episode, South Carolina defensive analyst Shaq Wilson joins us. A linebacker who went on to become a captain for the Gamecocks, Wilson recalls how USC’s ability to recruit players from Florida started to change the way top prospects looked at South Carolina.
“Coach (Steve) Spurrier — I wasn’t a Florida fan but I liked his greatness. I was a Florida State fan,” Wilson said with a smile. When he got to South Carolina, that class in 2007 really opened up my eyes.”
That class of 2007 saw four four-star recruits from Florida commit to South Carolina highlighted by
“I came up here and got that offer my 11th grade year. A guy from my high school got offered and signed with South Carolina, Jamir Williams. He was big time. Had (offers from) Ohio State, Florida, Florida State… Once you get around your guys and you come on those unofficial visits and then those official visits you’re like, ‘okay, I can work with these dudes’… Everybody from Florida, they were top guys, everybody was winning in high school. I’m like we got dudes and I want to win. I wanna go do it with them.”
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While it took some time, from 2010-13 USC experienced their best four year run in program history. Many of those key players arriving in the years after Wilson committed to the Gamecocks.
“That 2008 class really recruited that 2009 class. We got Alshon (Jeffery), Stephon (Gilmore), DeVonte (Holloman), Jarvis Giles, Justice Cunningham, it was guys after guys. The thing was, they were all coming from winning programs. I think that’s huge.”
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Shane Beamer has made similar sentiments when recalling those same years when he was an assistant for South Carolina.
“I saw it happen here when I was before — Alshon Jeffery and Stephon Gilmore come to mind,” said Beamer, during a weekly in-season teleconference last fall. “Alshon was committed to Southern Cal for eight months until signing day. Stephon could’ve gone anywhere in the country. Those two guys came to South Carolina, when they could’ve gone anywhere in the country.
“The next year is when we signed Marcus Lattimore. After Marcus it was Jadeveon Clowney. A lot of other guys that are household names as well — A.J. Cann, D.J. Swearinger, DeVonte Holloman. From out of state — Melvin Ingram, Connor Shaw. Certainly great players want to play with great players. We get a lot of really good ones committed to us… certainly when you get an elite player it does nothing but help with recruiting.”
Wilson added one more pitch he recalled from USC that helped sell him to become a Gamecock. One that can be used still today.
“If you win here you’ll be remembered forever. I think that was a big thing they sold (to) us all getting recruited to South Carolina. If you come here you’re gonna be the first guys to win really, really big here. You’ll be remembered and take this program to another level.”
