How Gamecocks freshman Desmond Umeozulu is progressing in spring
Sterling Lucas scored a big recruiting victory in his first year as a Gamecocks assistant by landing one of the nation’s top EDGE prospects for the 2023 cycle.
Desmond Umeozulu, formerly slated by the On3 Industry Ranking as a top 150 prospect and the number 18 prospect at his position, enrolled early in Columbia. That has allowed him to go through spring practice and begin preparing to make an early impact at a position of significant need for USC this season.
Although Lucas coaches all of his players, whether inherited or recruited personally, the same, it’s nonetheless been exciting for him to see the early stages of Umeozulu’s development.
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“It’s awesome, just going through that recruiting process with him, a guy coming from high school, graduated early, getting him here, just seeing how the continues to progress,” Lucas said during a Thursday meeting with media in Columbia. I’m very pleased with where he is. He’s doing a really good job.”
Umeozulu chose the Gamecocks over an impressive list of suitors that extended scholarships, the likes of Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, and numerous others.
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Lucas asks his players to play with maximum effort at all times, that he’s taken note of his freshman’s prowess in that area.
“In our room, the first thing we talk about, day one, is leading the SEC in effort,” he said. “We grade the loafs really hard, but he has minimum loafs. He constantly shows up around the football, which is a good thing.”
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Lucas noted that Umeozulu has put on around 20 pounds since joining the Gamecocks roster and also credit
Kudos to the guys int he weight room, doing a really good job with him. He’s picking up the playbook really well. All those guys are pushing him. He sits right next to Jordan Strachan in the meeting room, he’s asking him questions.
This USC staff has found Umeozulu to be the same type of guy that he thought he’d be during the recruiting process upon his arrival in Columbia.
“When we recruit guys, we want guys who love football,” the second-year assistant said. “I think he definitely loves football. He’s willing to do the little things to be successful. He’s still supposed to be in high school, but he’s out there at competing. He’s always around the ball.”
