Gamecocks Connection: What's up with recruiting?

Hey, I’m Chris Clark with GamecockCentral.com, and welcome to Gamecocks Connection.

This weekly newsletter will consist of a summary of some of the latest happenings in Gamecock Country, reader questions, and one “main idea” that’s on my mind. Plus, there will be some other goodies along the way.

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What’s on the docket today?

With plenty of discussion amongst the fan base on the topic of football recruiting, I’m weighing in with thoughts on the last couple weeks and what lies ahead.

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Get caught up.

Three quick things to know about your Gamecocks from the last few days.

🏈  Shane Beamer made his rounds at SEC Media Days today. A player from each phase of the game joined him. Spencer Rattler, Tonka Hemingway, and Kai Kroeger were chosen as the program’s representatives. We have complete coverage on GamecockCentral.com.

🏈 A major recruiting target – four-star wide receiver Jonathan Paylor – set an announcement date of August 5. More on recruiting later in this space.

⚾ USC is looking to add more pieces through the transfer portal to Mark Kingston’s program.

One is officially in the boat, a pitcher from Marist.

Another strong possibility is a player who just spent four years at another SEC East program.

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The main idea.

The Gamecocks got off to a hot start in the 2024 class, landing a string of early, high-quality commitments that put the program in the top 10 nationally.

Now, fans are wondering if momentum has slowed. 

USC landed some commitments in June, but none so far in July. A former Carolina lean, Keylen Adams, committed to Virginia Tech. Carolina made a run at four-star DB Malcolm Ziglar, but he picked UNC.

Several defensive linemen chose other programs this summer.

More major decisions are on the way in the next few weeks for prospects that USC’s been in the mix for in the last several months or longer.

The Carolina Faithful are worried that some of them may not go their way.

Here’s a schedule of upcoming announcements to watch:

Brookline (Mass.) Dexter School four-star DL Liam Andrews – July 21

Palmetto (Fla.) three-star DB/WR Zy’Marion Lang – July 30

Burlington (N.C.) Cummings four-star WR Jonathan Paylor – Aug. 5

Ellaville (Ga.) Schley County four-star ATH Jalewis Solomon – Aug. 5

Meridian (Miss.) four-star RB Daniel Hill – Aug. 23

Let’s answer the question, then. What’s going on? Is there reason for concern?

Some prospects have chosen Georgia. Some have felt a home-state pull to other schools. NIL has played in for others. 

Yes, many of the recent misses are disappointing, players that could certainly help the Gamecocks. Yes, there are still some high-quality targets remaining on the board.

Shane Beamer and his staff are locked in some big-boy recruiting battles on several of them.

USC needs great players to compete with the programs it plays on an annual basis. I understand the concern when the pool of those type players is narrowing, or when USC misses on a guy it was in the lead group for at one time.

In recruiting, the ones you miss on are not as important as the ones you get.

Which ones South Carolina lands in the next several months will play a key role in the growth of the program.

Late July nowadays seems a bit late in a recruiting cycle. I think it’s still fairly early, though, for South Carolina. 

My assessment: let’s see how the rest of the class plays out before letting panic set in. 

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Party time.

The third annual GamecockCentral Preseason Kickoff Party date is set!

We’ll be out at Steel Hands Brewing on August 19, and Patrick Davis is playing once again.

There will be guest appearances from Gamecocks athletes and plenty of fun throughout the day.

More details to come over the next couple weeks.

VIP tickets are available now and will go fast. Get some now!

What we’re talking about.

This space is typically reserved for a thread on The Insiders Forum that one of our members started.

I’m changing it up this time, bringing forth a topic of conversation I began this week.

I gave some thoughts on the current NIL environment at USC, and how important it is to recruiting. It prompted some great comments and questions from our members.

If you are a subscriber with us, VISIT to see what they’re saying and to weigh in!

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A thanks and a request.

I sincerely thank you for reading this newsletter and hope it’s informative and enjoyable for you.

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