USC Recruiting News

[Carolina Cowboy]

Yeah, I like that we're getting it done early, beating Tommy Bowden at his own game....Clemsux already has some verbals,we dont.However,it is a good sighn that we have begun to recruit for next year.

[GTmorris1970]

I think it also shows that SOS is more settled in now. He was in a rush last season just to recruit and get the team used to a new style. Looks now like recruiting will be year round.

[RW13]

Getting in the picture early is very important for the cocks. We can make huge strides in recruiting if we can just get a few of them to commit because then like others have said we got something to show for 2007. I can't wait to see how this class pans out. It should be something to behold. This year we need to get a quality QB, a quality RB, a quality LB, 3-4 DBs, 2 OL, 2 DL, and at least one quality WR for the future of SC in my opinion.

I disagree, we have enough QB's (if clausen wants to come here, lets let him, otherwise who cares, his brothers sucked and we have the greatest
QB coach of all time, who needs him IMO), we'll need WR's, and not just 1, we'll need a few, other than that I agree with you, maybe some LB's....

[Carolina Cowboy]

RW 13 we have 9WR and 16LB on our current roster.Thats pretty heavy at both positions. USC does need more DT andOL to build on from last years recruiting class.

[RW13]

Rice leaves, no other WR in 2005 had more than 297 yds receiving, we need more production from the WR position....(outside of Rice obviously)....

[Carolina Cowboy]

Mitchell threw the ball to rice 95 percent of the time. At the end of the season he was double teamed and mitchell still tried to throw it to him. I hope he learned from those experiences. Still SOS will sighn a high calliber QB every year.

[RW13]

Better safe than sorry, sign one every year....

[Beebop]

anyone know how Quinton Richardson's visit went today....he was supposed to meet with SOS along with his parents.....

[scfan5338]

anyone know how Quinton Richardson's visit went today....he was supposed to meet with SOS along with his parents.....

Richardson Checks Out USC
By Phil Kornblut
OL Quintin Richardson (6-5 275) of Spring Valley made an official visit to USC Wednesday. Richardson spent about three hours on campus with some members of his family. "Everything was great," Richardson said. "We had a real nice time. It gave my family a chance to see the facilities. I enjoyed myself and my family did, too. I enjoyed talked to coach Spurrier. He talked about the future of Carolina football and what he's going to bring. He also talked about plans for new facilities." Richardson has a busy schedule ahead. He will go with the Spring Valley track team to Tennessee Saturday and will meet with assistant coach Dan Brooks. He will go to Maryland for junior day February 18th followed by junior day trips to USC February 25th, Clemson March 4th and Kentucky March 5th. Richardson has official offers from USC, Clemson, Maryland, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee and Kentucky. He does not have a favorite. "They are all even," Richardson said.

[scfan5338]

I hope everyone that can, will go to the Vandy game. That would be great if we get some chants going like we did 2 years ago for Murdock. Maybe for Clausen and couple of the guys from SC especially Gray, Maddox and Barnes.

[Williams-Brice]

Sounds like Richardson could make a decision in March after taking all of those unofficial visits. I like our chances. Gary Gray and Brian Maddox will commit early, too. We are in extremely good shape for all three of these guys.

[Williams-Brice]

Spurrier wants to bring in one QB per year. If we don't get Clausen, then we'll get someone else. By the way, I want Clausen.

[OmahaBound]

if we don't get clausen i'll gladly take that kid from ocala, fl....but i want clausen too.

[Beebop]

The other Simms kid is would be a very nice pick up as well! He has a strong arm and good size.

[sully00]

if sos can pull this guy out of lake martin the defense will be awesome. of course what do you do with nix.

[pc72687]

Maybe I live in a cave but I haven't heard anything about brother oliver. Who is he and what position is he trying to get?

[TrueGCFan]

Brother is not coming to SC. Coach says he's just using him as a consultant.

[scfan5338]

USC Major Player With Brantley
By Phil Kornblut
QB John Brantley IV (6-3 185) of Ocala, FL is regarded as one of the top quarterbacks in the junior class after passing for 2758 yards and 41 touchdowns with just five interceptions last season. "He is one of those unique players brought up around football," said his coach Kerwin Bell, a former Florida and pro quarterback. Brantley's father played linebacker at Florida under Steve Spurrier. "He has natural instincts, a presence in the pocket. He knows how to move a safety. He has unbelievable physical ability, a great arm. I've seen a lot of quarterbacks in my time and he's got as good a release as anybody I've seen. He throws a beautiful ball." Bell said Brantley has been offered by practically every school in the country, including USC. "South Carolina is definitely on the list with coach Spurrier being there and the offense they run," said Bell who played for Spurrier at Florida. "He's been in that system for three years. I'm sure they will definitely be on the list. He camped at South Carolina last summer. Spurrier himself has called. He's not narrowed to a top five but South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma are the top ones with him." USC, of course, has also been in pursuit of QB Jimmy Clausen of California but Bell said Spurrier let Brantley know where he stands with him. "When he called in the fall he let John know he's the one he wants to go after," Bell said. Brantley attend Junior Day at Florida and will go to Texas February 25th. He plans to decide before his senior season.

[CockyTatGuy]

Rice leaves, no other WR in 2005 had more than 297 yds receiving, we need more production from the WR position....(outside of Rice obviously)....

Rice isn't leaving, he is gonna be here through his freshman year trust me.

[GTmorris1970]

Reaves is the new recruiting coord., which I think is an excellent move. Nix is defensive coordinator, and he will do excellent as well.

[Williams-Brice]

Yes, and Spurrier confirmed once again that Hannah will be leaving after this semester.

Rice isn't going anywhere. Did y'all see ESPN The Magazine recently? He said he will be here all four years.

[OmahaBound]

Rice and his boys challenged my basketball team to a run last night. umm, yeah, we totally wimped out. lord knows we needed the time to just practice and we saw them go crazy the previous week with dunks and alley-hoops (sp?).

[SPURED]

Rice and his boys challenged my basketball team to a run last night. umm, yeah, we totally wimped out. lord knows we needed the time to just practice and we saw them go crazy the previous week with dunks and alley-hoops (sp?).
lol that was probably a good thing. ive seen rice ball, and he didnt win what was it 4 state championships in a row at Gaffney for no reason. i got to see him play football and basketball in high school. and from what i saw i thought he was a better basketball player.

[Spurrierismyhomeboy]

Rice isn't going anywhere. Did y'all see ESPN The Magazine recently? He said he will be here all four years.
It also said Rice will be in the 2010 Pro Bowl. He's the next T.O. but without the attitude.

[sully00]

Maybe I live in a cave but I haven't heard anything about brother oliver. Who is he and what position is he trying to get? brother oliver was the mastermind at ala for stalling he is a defensive genius like sos is an offensive genuis. the two are the best of friends but apparently sos could not persuade the brother to comeout of retirement. this addtion would have been a one/two punch for the cocks.

[RW13]

Sidney Rice will not be in our program for 5 years (barring injury of course), sorry, he's too good, maybe 2 more seasons (which would equal 4 total) of playing, but that's tops.......

[pc72687]

I hope Rice stays for his whole term but the lure of money has taken many before. We'll see. I would be happy with Brantly or Clausen. Heck, both would be the best case senario but either will do. If this keeps up I see top 5 recruiting class.

[RW13]

I just hope we get WR's who can catch like Sydney, QB's are a dime a dozen IMO, especially w/ Spurrier, it'll look pretty with all the stars and all, but who cares really....

[pc72687]

I don't worry about QB or WR too much with Spurrier. Once we get one player who can ball the way spurrier wants and SC begins to win big then it will be easy to get the top players in.

[CockyTatGuy]

Sidney Rice will not be in our program for 5 years (barring injury of course), sorry, he's too good, maybe 2 more seasons (which would equal 4 total) of playing, but that's tops.......

He will be in the program until he graduates, my mom and his dad are pretty good friends, his dad said that Sidney knows education comes first. From a few of my friends that know him and my mom knowing his dad I gotta say that there aren't many kids out there like him anymore that say education first even when they know the big time money is there for the grabbing now.

[scfan5338]

I hope Rice stays for his whole term but the lure of money has taken many before. We'll see. I would be happy with Brantly or Clausen. Heck, both would be the best case senario but either will do. If this keeps up I see top 5 recruiting class.


Hey man nothing has happened yet. Chil out. We don't even have any commitments. These guys are just interested in us, just like a lot of the players were this year. When one of these guys commit's to us is when we can start thinking where this class will end up. Top 5 might be a homer for right now. I say top 15- top 10. We have to wait and see how this plays out.

[JerryBeeds]

Locals On SuperPrep AA Team
By Phil Kornblut
227 players were selected to SuperPrep's All America team for this year. Following are the players with local ties (USC & Clemson signees and in state players) who were chosen and their national ranking within their positions:

C.J. Spiller RB #4 Clemson signee
Clifton Geathers OL #18 Carvers Bay
Garrett Andferson OL #29 USC signee
Ricky Sapp DE #6 Clemson signee
Adam Patterson DE #21 Richland Northeast
Dekoda Watson DE #31 South Aiken
Rodney Paulk LB #21 USC Signee
Crezdon Butler DB #17 Clemson signee
Prince Miller DB #18 Byrnes
Byron Maxwell DB #19 Clemson signee
Darius Gaither DB #35 Clemson signee

[scfan5338]

Gray Gets Offer From The Champs
By Phil Kornblut
DB Gary Gray (5-10 165) of Richland Northeast received an official offer Friday from the National Champion Texas Longhorns. They join USC, Clemson, Auburn, NC State, Middle Tennessee State, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Louisville as official offers for Gray. Gray will attend USC's Junior Day February 25th and Clemson's Junior Day March 4th. He will visit Notre Dame March 11th and Auburn March 18th. He will also visit Texas in April. Gray plans to make his decision in May.

Getting offers from all thes big schools, I think Gray and going to end up a Longhorn. I dont think we can keep him in state. I hope we can but I dont think it's likely.

[scfan5338]

Anyone know when or if Rivals come out with a Top 100 for Class of 2007. Not the pre-evaluation but they actual Top 100.

[palmettocock]

Anyone know when or if Rivals come out with a Top 100 for Class of 2007. Not the pre-evaluation but they actual Top 100.

probably sometime in july. I know thats a big month for rivals as most of the camps are done, or underway.

[palmettocock]

Just saw this video on cockytalk and I thought I would share it with you. Just another great video by cockyhoskins highlighting the ups of the season! To get you pumped for the next year of our new dynasty! http://www.youtube.com/?v=dwTLKHMtr20

[Carolina Cowboy]

Posted by NDan on February 08, 2006 at 16:02:50



email from a college buddy who works at Rivals
Thought you all might be interested....


Jimmy Clausen is going to ND. He apparently committed on Monday. Our guys are still trying to confirm, but looks pretty solid right now.


Janna
Member Services
1-866-2RIVALS
I saw this on another site.I don't know if it's true or not. :confused:

[SilverBritches]

Anyone know when or if Rivals come out with a Top 100 for Class of 2007. Not the pre-evaluation but they actual Top 100.

Last year it came out the 2nd weekend of June so I would say sometime around then.

[Williams-Brice]

Rivals will release the rankings in June.

If someone at Rivals knew Clausen commited, then it would be all over the place. He's not going to commit to them when he plans on coming here in two weeks. That's not logical.

[JerryBeeds]

I'm not too worried about Clausen anyway. It's good to in the running, but I really think that we end up taking Matt Lentz as our only QB commit for this class. He's supposed to be a top 100 guy also. He won't have the hype or the pedigree of Jimmy Clausen, but he's a baller and I would be glad to have him.

[WayzUp]

Posted by NDan on February 08, 2006 at 16:02:50



email from a college buddy who works at Rivals
Thought you all might be interested....


Jimmy Clausen is going to ND. He apparently committed on Monday. Our guys are still trying to confirm, but looks pretty solid right now.


Janna
Member Services
1-866-2RIVALS
I saw this on another site.I don't know if it's true or not. :confused:
I live about an hour away from South Bend & it's actually where my office is and I can tell you there is no basis to this at all cuz I'd have heard about it. The people I work with know several people in ND's athletic department and my wife's grandparents know more than their share of people in and around the university...if there was anything to this story more than internet message board rumors, I'd have heard at least a whisper about it. As it is, the overriding consensus from those that would know is the same as USC's; they're just happy to have a legitimate shot at his committment when he does make up his mind.

If I do hear anything, I'll be sure to post it. They seem to get their stories straight when they do start tellin' them though. They were talking about that top OL signee a week before he announced so I do put weight in what they say when they talk about stuff....but so far, nothing on Clausen from what I can tell. I'll be in the office tomorrow so I'll ask around a bit then.

[palmettocock]

I'm not too worried about Clausen anyway. It's good to in the running, but I really think that we end up taking Matt Lentz as our only QB commit for this class. He's supposed to be a top 100 guy also. He won't have the hype or the pedigree of Jimmy Clausen, but he's a baller and I would be glad to have him.

I havent heard too much on him. Can you give us the info on this guy please :)

[OmahaBound]

I havent heard too much on him. Can you give us the info on this guy please :)

Lentz An Impressive Prospect
By Phil Kornblut
Greenville High QB Matt Lentz (6-3 205) had a huge junior season completing 233 passes in 332 attempts for 3643 yards and 44 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions. He also rushed for 785 yards and 16 touchdowns. "He's very mobile, a dual threat quarterback," said his coach Jim Sosebee. "He has very good arm strength and makes good decisions." Lentz is also an all state outfielder in baseball. He has not yet been offered by he's been drawing interest from USC, Kentucky, Alabama, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt according to his coach.

And if you subscribe to rivals, you can see some videos...
http://southcarolina.rivals.com/viewprospect.asp?pr_key=47442

[TrueGCFan]

Looks like we've got a number of top notch QBs in our sites:

USC’S INTEREST IN quarterback Jimmy Clausen of California has been well documented, but he’s not the only highly-rated junior quarterback the Gamecocks covet. There’s also John Brantley IV (6-foot-3, 185 pounds) of Ocala, Fla.
“I’ve seen a lot of quarterbacks in my time, and he’s got as good a release as anybody I’ve seen,” said Brantley’s coach Kerwin Bell, a former pro and University of Florida quarterback. “He throws a beautiful ball. He has natural instincts, a presence in the pocket. He has unbelievable physical ability, a great arm.”
Brantley’s father played linebacker at Florida when USC head coach Steve Spurrier was a member of the staff.
Brantley, who attended camp at USC last summer, attended junior day at Florida and will go to Texas on Feb. 25. He plans to decide before his senior season.

[TrueGCFan]

We can not lose this guy out of our own backyard:

Spring Valley offensive lineman Quintin Richardson (6-5, 275) had a busy week with unofficial visits to USC on Wednesday and Clemson on Friday.
Richardson has offers from USC, Clemson, Maryland, Tennessee, Kentucky and Middle Tennessee State. He is going to Maryland’s junior day on Feb. 18, Tennessee for an unofficial visit on Feb. 20, USC’s junior day on Feb. 25, Clemson’s on March 4 and Kentucky’s on March 5. He also plans to visit Middle Tennessee State. He does not have a favorite.

[TrueGCFan]

Looks like Texas is going after a number of our guys:

National champion Texas made an offer to Richland Northeast defensive back Gary Gray (5-10, 165) last week. He also has offers from USC, Clemson, Auburn, N.C. State, Middle Tennessee State, Maryland, Kentucky, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Georgia Tech and Louisville. Gray will attend USC’s and Clemson’s junior days and will visit Notre Dame on March 11 and Auburn on March 18. He will also visit Texas in April. Gray plans to make his decision in May.

[TrueGCFan]

This guy looks like a stud:

RNE wide receiver Mark Barnes (6-3, 190) has an offer list of USC, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn, Maryland, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Virginia, LSU, Boston College, Louisville and Alabama. He will go to junior days at USC and Clemson and will visit Auburn on March 18.

[TrueGCFan]

Here are two Greenville guys including the 3rd qb on our screen:

Greenville High offensive lineman David Smith (6-6, 280) is another of the state’s top junior prospects. Smith’s only offer is from Clemson. He plans to go to junior days at Clemson, USC, Maryland and Kentucky.

Another prospect to watch at Greenville is quarterback Matt Lentz (6-3, 205). He passed for 3,643 yards and 44 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions last season. He also rushed for 785 yards and 16 touchdowns.

[Williams-Brice]

There is a good chance that Richardson, Gray, and Barnes all end up in the Top 100. If there is a school capable of landing all three of them, it's us. We are in at least the Top 2 for all of them.

[pc72687]

I think SC gets Brantly, it has been stated before that he is Spurrier's number one target at QB. Spurrier likes his mechanics alot.

[Beebop]

I think SC gets Brantly, it has been stated before that he is Spurrier's number one target at QB. Spurrier likes his mechanics alot.

This wouldn't hurt my feelings at all....to have him come in and beef up while Smelley runs the show for a few years. That would be great.

[FLgamecockJAX]

If Brantley comes to play for SOS, I sure hope he brings Dion Lecorn with him also.

While he's at it, bring Deonte Thompson also!

[pc72687]

I think Brantly would take the job from Smelley. I think his mechanics, his athletic ability, and football sense is higher then Smelley's. Not that Smelley isn't good, I just think Brantly's is better.

[cocky4ever]

I think Brantly would take the job from Smelley. I think his mechanics, his athletic ability, and football sense is higher then Smelley's. Not that Smelley isn't good, I just think Brantly's is better.
Its a little early for that dont ya think. Smelley called all of his own plays for the last two years and went undefeated in that time....

[JerryBeeds]

Bailey Set For Exams
By Phil Kornblut
USC OL signee Clarence Bailey (6-7 320) will take his final exams in accounting and college algebra this week, and if all goes well, he'll enroll at USC in March. Bailey is taking online courses through BYU to complete his degree from Lackawanna JC, PA. [If he] successfuly completes that degree, he will enroll at USC in March and take cl*cussword**cussword**cussword*es at Fort Jackson. He would be eligible to participate in spring practice.

[OmahaBound]

Bailey Set For Exams
By Phil Kornblut
he will enroll at USC in March and take cl*cussword**cussword**cussword*es at Fort Jackson.

i agree with the filter that attending lectures can be a vile and obscene activity, not fit for my personal moral standards.

[pc72687]

The sooner he gets here the better (Bailey of course). It will be very beneficial for him to participate in spring practice. Belcher, Brinkley, the FB and the DL signee are already lifting with the team aren't they (sorry their names have left me)?

[GamecockinIL]

Its a little early for that dont ya think. Smelley called all of his own plays for the last two years and went undefeated in that time....

Not only that, but he has CLEARLY demonstrated some strong leadership skills since he signed on. Mechanics are great, but the leadership thing is an intangible that is a major difference maker.

BTW cocky4.....bring back the kung-fu kitty video. That was way better than the white kid who can't jump :D

[cocky4ever]

Not only that, but he has CLEARLY demonstrated some strong leadership skills since he signed on. Mechanics are great, but the leadership thing is an intangible that is a major difference maker.

BTW cocky4.....bring back the kung-fu kitty video. That was way better than the white kid who can't jump :D
Good points about Smelley.

I'll bring back the flying kitty later, I've got all kinds that I havent even gotten to yet. As far as the white kid not jumping...I think he can jump fine. Its his timing that he needs to work on :D

[pc72687]

Well we can argue about Smelley all we want to but that still doesn't change the fact that Brantley is a great player who I personally think is better then Smelley (by the way rivals seems to agree since he is in the top 100 and smelley wasn't) and who we should attempt to get a LOI from. Smelley is a great player. So is Sydney Rice but that didn't stop us from going after Tim Hawthrone. If you have a good player you don't just stop going after others.

[GamecockinIL]

Well we can argue about Smelley all we want to but that still doesn't change the fact that Brantley is a great player who I personally think is better then Smelley (by the way rivals seems to agree since he is in the top 100 and smelley wasn't) and who we should attempt to get a LOI from. Smelley is a great player. So is Sydney Rice but that didn't stop us from going after Tim Hawthrone. If you have a good player you don't just stop going after others.

Totally agree pc....let's just not throw Smelley under the bus before he's even suited up in favor of Brantley. We need to recruit the BEST QB we possbily can every year, but there are lot's of "can't miss" prospects who most definitely "miss". Smelley may not be our QB of the future, but I sure like the leaderership he has displayed. That was missing in spades from Mitchell.

Give me a man in the huddle that guys will play for with their guts hanging out, and I'll show you a winner, great mechanics or not.

[GTmorris1970]

From what I have read and been hearing, Spurrier hand picked Smelley to be the future of the Gamecocks.

[bleedsgarnet]

lets be real here..he handpicked him out of qbs eligible for this year..if he could sign the brantley kid next year, you would hear the same thing. It is all about the system..If you get a smart qb, like smelley or brantley, you make the system work that much better..we have smelley now..he is da man. he more than likely will be starting in 2007

[Beebop]

Anybody heard whether or not J. King has found out his scores yet. I know it was reported that he would know something today.

[pc72687]

First off, I do want to make a comment that this board is the only one that stays on topic more often then not. Many of the other boards go way off topic real quick.

I hope everyone is right about Smelley. I am not saying he isn't going to be great. I am just saying that out of high school we are pursuing athletes that are better high school athletes then he was. But whether that transfers to college we will see. But as far as leadership, Smelley is way ahead of the game. On a similar note, I think it is a positive sign we are even discussing this because a few years ago a lesser Qb would have gotten us all excited. Now we are arguing which one of our top QB picks will start. We are finally headed in the right direction!

[USCGrifter]

Well then let me add more fuel to the fire . . . .
This was on sportingnews.com today.

The youngest Clausen is next year's prize
February 15, 2006

It's Clausen time. Now that the 2006 recruiting classes have been inked for the most part, the focus will now turn to 2007 and Jimmy Clausen. Clausen, for those who haven't already heard, is the next great signal-caller in college football, a can't-miss kid with enough talent and poise to lead a team as a true freshman. Yes, he's the younger brother of Casey and Rick Clausen, who both played at Tennessee and no, he won't be following in their footsteps. The 6-3, 200-pounder from Oaks Christian High School just Northwest of Beverly Hills, Calif., is the most-hyped quarterback coming out of high school since Ron Powlus. He could try to attain the lofty goals Beano Cook set for young Ron if Clausen heads to South Bend, as well.

Clausen has thrown for 88 touchdowns against only 11 interceptions over the last two seasons and has completed more than 67 percent of his passes. He has great footwork, a strong arm, tremendous accuracy and a quick release that would make Dan Marino proud. There's nothing 90210 about Clausen, aside from his blonde hair and blue eyes. This kid is as serious as a heart attack when it comes to football and wants to be the best high school football player ever -- that's right, ever.

Before the media crush and coaching stampede become too much in late April and early May, Clausen is expected to choose his school and get the process over with early. Right now it's a three-team race with Notre Dame and Southern Cal holding the edge over South Carolina and Steve Spurrier. Playing for Charlie Weis, the maker of great quarterbacks, is as tempting as staying close to home and slinging the pigskin at USC, but Jimmy's brother Casey, his idol, would like to meet the Spurrier before anything is decided. My best guess has Clausen heading off to Notre Dame and competing for a starting job as a true freshman in 2007. If that happens, someone wake up old Beano. It might be time for another outlandish prediction.

Maybe this will make me like Casey Clausen - scratch that I got delirious for a sec

[USCGrifter]

I don't know if this guy is on the radar of our coaches, but we are apparently on his. I guess he is supposed to be something of a Thomas Davis for whoever he ends up playing for, which is something i wouldn't mind having :)

Scotty Cooper, a 6-foot-1, 195 pound, outside linebacker, from Lake City, S.C. is a prospect who will be getting a lot of looks in 2006.
“I am interested in South Carolina, Florida State, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Clemson, Ohio State, North Carolina, and Texas,” Cooper said.

Cooper has already had the chance to check out the campus of one of the schools that appeared on his favorites list.

“I took an unofficial visit to Georgia for a game last year. It was a nice trip. The fans and the atmosphere were amazing,” Cooper said. “I never got to see much of the campus, I really just saw the stadium, but it was nice to get to see what I am working so hard for.”

Cooper also has a trip set to attend South Carolina’s junior day event in late February.

“I am going to be going to a basketball game at South Carolina on February 25th. I am very excited about that trip. Coach (Steve) Spurrier has brought a brand new feel to the program,” Cooper explained.

Cooper also considers himself lucky to have positive influences in his life, people who have helped put him in a great position to go on and be a success in college.

“My mom has always been there for me and has done everything that she can for me,” Cooper said of the great relationship he has with his mother.

“Coach Ap (Lake City linebacker coach Matt Apicella) cares about me a lot and has helped to get me where I am today. My pee-wee football coach David Simmons, who is a close family friend and a preacher, has also been a good role model for me,” Cooper explained.

As a junior, Cooper was recognized as an All-Region selection after racking up 96 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, and four sacks.

[bleedsgarnet]

only the toes knows what is gonna happen..all we are is a bunch hacks who like to think we know it all///sad but true

[Carolina Cowboy]

King Comes Up Short Again
By Phil Kornblut
USC signee DE Jarriel King (6-7 270) of North Charleston said Wednesday he had come up short in his most recent attempt to qualify for his scholarship. King got his test score back today. He said he will enroll at Georgia Military JC this fall and plans to transfer to USC after a season in junior college. :(

[Beebop]

King Comes Up Short Again
By Phil Kornblut
USC signee DE Jarriel King (6-7 270) of North Charleston said Wednesday he had come up short in his most recent attempt to qualify for his scholarship. King got his test score back today. He said he will enroll at Georgia Military JC this fall and plans to transfer to USC after a season in junior college. :(
aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[rabidcock]

aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhh! :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

Don't worry--jr. college will just sharpen up his skills and he'll be rarin' to go when he finally arrives.

[WayzUp]

King Comes Up Short Again
By Phil Kornblut
USC signee DE Jarriel King (6-7 270) of North Charleston said Wednesday he had come up short in his most recent attempt to qualify for his scholarship. King got his test score back today. He said he will enroll at Georgia Military JC this fall and plans to transfer to USC after a season in junior college. :(
Now that just sucks. :( We really could have used King this year & he probably would have stepped right into the starting lineup from day 1. Hope he can get it down next time...I really don't want this to be another high-potential signee who never puts on a Carolina uniform. It does free up a scholly for one of the kids we signed this year but that's small consolation in my eyes....disappointing to say the least.

[pc72687]

I am not sure that King was a high profile recruit. A good one no doubt but high profile isn't quite the right word. Solid might be more fitting.

[bleedsgarnet]

i find it hard to believe, that with all the special classes and tutoring available just to raise your score enough to pass an sat, that he would still not be able to pass//especially after a freakin year...hmmm

[Bongo]

i find it hard to believe, that with all the special classes and tutoring available just to raise your score enough to pass an sat, that he would still not be able to pass//especially after a freakin year...hmmm



All together now....

D U M M M Y

[usccop]

Dude, are you kidding me? Why would you say that? You do know that players can read here right. Or wait, were you describing yourself? You're a jerk, and it's a joke that you can even post here. What a buffoon!!

[OmahaBound]

i find it hard to believe, that with all the special classes and tutoring available just to raise your score enough to pass an sat, that he would still not be able to pass//especially after a freakin year...hmmm

i could be wrong, but don't all those courses/tutors cost money? maybe his family is incredibly strapped for cash.

the fact that he's been unable to pass the test most likely means one of 2 things:
either

a) he has a learning disability, and even with the lower score standards, he's just not able to make the mark

that could hardly be labelled as being his fault. some people are just born with disadvantages.

or

b) he's been passed each year in school without having really learned the fundamentals of an education. this happens way too frequently, and when the kids know they can get away with not doing the work, plenty of them will take this path. if the kid hasn't learned much in school i'd imagine it would be difficult to solve all the logic problems on the SAT.

[GTmorris1970]

I am really starting to think that even if he finally makes the grade on this test, he will not be able to pass his college courses anyway. May be time to cut our losses here.

[Bongo]

I am really starting to think that even if he finally makes the grade on this test, he will not be able to pass his college courses anyway. May be time to cut our losses here.


Thank you. And if a kid can read and comprehend "buffoon" then he may just squeak by the SAT with a year to study.

[usccop]

Hey buddy come on now, you're the one who called him a dummy, and you spelled it wrong might I add...and I repeat, buffoon. Thank YOU!!

[USCGrifter]

Hey buddy come on now, you're the one who called him a dummy, and you spelled it wrong might I add...and I repeat, buffoon. Thank YOU!!

I am going to go out on a limb and guess that you're one of those people that just doesn't get sarcasm as a vehicle for humor.

[pc72687]

Well maybe the college thing will work better for him then test taking. I knew plenty of people with high GPAs but low SAT scores because they just weren't test takers.

[usccop]

I am going to go out on a limb and guess that you're one of those people that just doesn't get sarcasm as a vehicle for humor.
Maybe you think it's funny to call a kid having problems with a standardized test a dummy, but I don't, no matter how sarcastically you spell it.

[Cianne]

a) he has a learning disability, and even with the lower score standards, he's just not able to make the mark

that could hardly be labelled as being his fault. some people are just born with disadvantages.

You can pretty much take the SAT untimed if you have a "learning disability." It's great if your disability it legitimate, but I know a lot of people who "developed" ADD at some point over their high school careers that managed to get a family friend who is a doctor to sign a piece of paper allowing this.

It's unfortunate some people just don't try and/or the school system failed them so that even with the multitudes of extra help you can get, that a high school kid still can't make a qualifying score.

[pc72687]

Cianne your signature is great. I have a Boycott France bumper sticker on my truck.

[IrmoCock]

I am going to go out on a limb and guess that you're one of those people that just doesn't get sarcasm as a vehicle for humor.

I'm sorry, I love humor and sarcasm as much as the next guy, but I don't think a kid's intelligence is fodder for it. Do we really want to be known as "those fans?" You know, the ones that throw someone under the bus because they tried and came up short. I'm just sayin'. BTW usccop, are you a policeman at the university?

[GTmorris1970]

Scotty Cooper, a LB from Lake City, was offered by Carolina this weekend. He would be a member of the 2007 class. It is his first official offer, and he was very excited.

[rabidcock]

Give me a man in the huddle that guys will play for with their guts hanging out, and I'll show you a winner.

Like Steve Tanneyhill-----of course, he had MECHANICS too! :whistle:

[GamecockDieHard]

This guy looks like a stud:

RNE wide receiver Mark Barnes (6-3, 190) has an offer list of USC, Clemson, Wake Forest, North Carolina, Kentucky, Auburn, Maryland, Virginia Tech, N.C. State, Penn State, Georgia Tech, Notre Dame, Virginia, LSU, Boston College, Louisville and Alabama. He will go to junior days at USC and Clemson and will visit Auburn on March 18.


I read somewhere a few weeks ago that Barnes and a couple other stud recruits including Jimmy Clausen have had discussions about all of them trying to go to the same program. Don't think I've ever heard recruits considering that option before. It makes sense. Get 5 or 6 top skill position players nationally together and make more of an impact. Talk about winning the lottery.

[usccop]

BTW usccop, are you a policeman at the university?

I wouldn't call myself a "policeman" per say. Where did you come up with that one anyway? BiLch

[pc72687]

Your name is usccop. I imagine that was the clue that gave it away for him, but I may just be shooting in the dark. By the way, this thread has sloooooowed down something serious.

[palmettocock]

Your name is usccop. I imagine that was the clue that gave it away for him, but I may just be shooting in the dark. By the way, this thread has sloooooowed down something serious.
yea with the disappearance of neo and williams brice busy with school, theres not too much inside info. I know this saturday is a big day with clausen and co being here, so maybe itll speed up next weekend

[Bongo]

I wouldn't call myself a "policeman" per say. Where did you come up with that one anyway? BiLch


OK... police person, or some other form of law enforcement maybe...

[uscrules]

I thought this was a recruiting thread. I came in to read some recruiting news and see all this, What Gives? :brick:

[rabidcock]

I thought this was a recruiting thread. I came in to read some recruiting news and see all this, What Gives? :brick:

Good point. I guess some of us are spoiled, as a lot of the info was supplied by some who are "no longer with us" (Jerry Beeds, etc.). I guess some of us are going to have to make an attempt to take up the slack. :unsure:

[Carolina Cowboy]

NC Athlete Likes USC
By Phil Kornblut
USC is the early front runner for ATH Michael Bowman (5-11 164) of Wadesboro, NC according to his coach Jody Grooms. "Right now they are the team to beat," Grooms said. "They are recruiting him as a wide receiver. They have an early edge with him by virtue of offering him early. Steve Spurrier Jr. has done a lot with him." Bowman made an unofficial visit to USC last week along with two of his teammates. He has written offers from USC, East Carolina and Northern Illinois and his also hearing from Clemson, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, NC State, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Oklahoma State. Bowman rushed for over 1000 yards last season in a Wing-T offense. "He has great hips and changes directions well," Grooms said. "He's a tremendous competitor. He wants to win at everything he does. Whoever gets him is going to get an explosive football player. He can change the outcome of a game." Bowman has been to junior day at Wake Forest and will go to NC State this weekend followed by Clemson and Tennessee. He will also make an unofficial visit to Florida.

[Carolina Cowboy]

RNE Duo Alters Schedules
By Phil Kornblut
Top juniors DB Gary Gray (5-10 165) and WR Mark Barnes (6-3 190) of Richland Northeast will be busy over the next several weekends attending junior days and making unofficial visits to schools of interest. They have made some changes to their schedules. Both will attend USC's junior day this coming weekend and then will travel to Notre Dame the following weekend. On the way back, they will stop by and visit Louisville. The pair will drop in on a Clemson spring practice March 11th then visit Auburn March 18th. Gray will also go to NC State March 25th and is looking at a possible visit to Texas April 8th. Also, both players are now drawing interest from Miami and Southern Cal. Miami appears close to offering both and they will visit there if offered. And Southern Cal has asked for film and transcripts on both players.

I am hearing chatter that Gray is favoring Texas and Clausen -Barnes are favoring ND. I think it is just bad rumours.USC needs get to Gray and Barnes.

[Bongo]

I thought this was a recruiting thread. I came in to read some recruiting news and see all this, What Gives? :brick:

Sorry. Passing timw while there's not much else going on

[Williams-Brice]

Those rumors about Gray and Barnes are bad rumors. No truth to them.

Guys, I'm sorry I've been away. I've got so much crap going on trying to keep my head above water in my classes and prepare for the MCAT at the same time. Once Signing Day ended, I was finally able to focus.

I was asked to work the Junior Day this weekend, but I had a prior commitment to lead a Bible study out of town this weekend. I have a good friend working the Junior Day, and I will get as much information from him as possible when I get back to Columbia.

[bleedsgarnet]

let me tell ya that from what i have heard, there definitely will be a group of guys committing together. the school that gets those will be very fortunate. I know that steve is building a program, and even though we love our gamecocks, it IS still south carolina....It will be hard as heck to get these guys to sign on the dotted line. I just dont see us getting clausen, gray, barnes and richardson..i think David Reaves needs one more year to get firmly entrenched.

[pc72687]

Yes, but slowly but surely SC is being considered a top program. Some of the papers have already included SC in the "top" programs. Like when they say recruit [insert name] is being recruited by some of the top schools in the nation, Texas, Southern Cal, Oklahoma, SC, LSU, etc. That right there tells me that we are moving in the right direction.

[bleedsgarnet]

you have a point..i totally agree..we have to transfer that to actually getting them to sign. It is exciting recruiting these big guys..hawthorne, berry, eliades..etc...it just sucks when we dont get them..you live by the sword and you die by it...spurrier is determined to get these kids..it will help considerably is we actually build on last year and add another win or two..

[USCGrifter]

Well, I finally broke down today and bought a subscription to scout's website. I apologize for the fact that I did not buy a subscription for rivals ( which I would have preferred), but I wanted teh draft coverage that comes with scout since I am every bit as addicted to the NFL draft as I am to cfb recruiting. So, seeing as there seems to be a lull, I figured that I would just start posting every bit of hot news that has recently come out of scouts website. I unfortunately won't be able to provide the insight that guys like WB and Neo have previously given, but hopefully the info will be useful and I can pretend that I didn't just waste a bunch of money (the key word there is pretend).

[USCGrifter]

Offers Mounting for Speedster
by Jamie Newberg of Scout.com, February 21, 2006 at 6:59am ET

Deonte Thompson Profile

One of the fastest recruits in the entire country among the Class of 2007 is wide receiver Deonte Thompson from Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades Central High School. Thompson, 6-0 and 186 pounds, showed us he can fly. Last spring, he and running back C.J. Spiller had a great running duel at the Scout.com combine in Jacksonville, Florida, where both speedsters raced to a dead tie and a 4.3 forty time.

“I have that speed and I run good routes,” said Thompson. “I can also be a physical receiver and I have solid hands.”

According to Thompson he has scholarship offers from Miami, Florida, Florida State, Ole Miss, Georgia, West Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas and Southern Cal. For now Thompson doesn’t have any favorites.
”I like Miami, Florida, Ohio State, South Carolina, Michigan and USC. Miami is a nice school and I have visited campus a few times. I have some friends there and I love the environment and I feel like I am at home there.

“I always wanted to be a Gator and I love Florida. That was my dream as a kid. I love the atmosphere and the crowd at the Swamp. That place is loud.

“I like State (Ohio State). Santonio (Holmes) is a guy I work out with a lot and I loved it there.

“At South Carolina I like (Steve) Spurrier and his offense. And he makes you a good receiver.

“I have always been a big Braylon (Edwards) fan and I love Michigan but they have not offered me yet nor do I know that much about them.

“USC is a team that seems to play for championships and they are winning so many games.”

[USCGrifter]

by Don Callahan of Scout.com, February 21, 2006 at 5:22am ET

Greg Little Profile

Not surprising, Greg Little continues to add schools to his scholarship offer stack.
“Last Thursday, offers from Tennessee, Clemson, and Wake Forest came in,” said Little. “I had some mail from Notre Dame at the school today, but I wasn’t able to get it.”

With no end to his flow of offers in sight, Little, a 6-foot-3 205-pound wide out from Durham (N.C.) Hillside, is nowhere near making a verbal commitment.

“I’m pretty much going to wait out to the end and see what comes along and make my decision when it comes down to the wire,” Little. “I’m pretty much open to everybody 100 percent.”

To help work through his options, Little will be making plenty of unofficial trips this spring and summer. He took his first visit this past weekend.

“I just got back Sunday from a junior day at Duke,” said Little. “It was pretty good. As far as the facilities there, they’re pretty updated. I went to the sports med room and the weight room and everything looks pretty good. And it was exciting in Cameron Indoor [Stadium].”

This weekend Little heads to N.C. State for the Wolfpack’s junior day. He also plans to camp at Notre Dame, Tennessee, and Michigan this summer.

In addition to his three new additions, Little’s stack includes Duke, Florida, Mississippi, N.C. State, Nebraska, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.

[USCGrifter]

Did anyone else know this kid played QB also?

ScoutTV: Cooper Comes To Hit
by Miller Safrit of Scout.com, February 20, 2006 at 11:11am ET

Scotty Cooper Profile

Scotty Cooper picked up his first offer when South Carolina tendered a scholarship last weekend. The safety from Lake City, S.C. has the talent to pick up several more scholarships through the course of the year. He shows that he loves to hit on defense, and he moves around quite a bit from safety to linebacker and even some time as a defensive end. However, it is his time on film as a quarterback where people can see just how athletic and how much balance he has while trying to wiggle through opposing defenses.

[USCGrifter]

QB Likes Three
by Jamie Newberg of Scout.com, February 20, 2006 at 8:15am ET

Jimmy Clausen Profile

When it comes to recruits among the Class of 2007, perhaps the most popular of the bunch, at least until he makes his commitment, will be Jimmy Clausen. Clausen, 6-3 and 195 pounds, is from Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian High School. He is a two year starter and is 28-0 thus far. Last year he led his team to another championship after going 156/231 for 2,778 yards and 30 touchdowns.
“Right now I favor Notre Dame, Southern Cal and South Carolina,” said Clausen. “I like Weis a lot at Notre Dame. I like the school and the people there. Everyone thinks I am going there but I am not leaning anywhere right now.

“USC has that winning tradition. I really like what they have done with that program and it’s very close to home, only about an hour.

“I like Coach (Steve) Spurrier at South Carolina. I love how he develops quarterback, they have lots of great athletes on that team and they are a program on the rise. Look at what they did in his first season there.

“I am just taking things day to day right now.”

Clausen is the likely favorite to become the Scout.com pre-season top ranked recruit. This west coast signal caller is the younger brother of former University of Tennessee quarterbacks Casey and Rick Clausen. The youngest is the best of the bunch at this stage. Clausen has great mechanics, a big time arm and has the football IQ you look for in a quarterback. Right now, Clausen just wants to work on the basics.

“Last year I made improvements on everything and had a good year. I just want to hit the weights and get bigger, stronger and faster. I am going to work with my quarterback coach and just try and fine tune everything.”

[USCGrifter]

Ready to Hit the Combine Circuit
by Don Callahan of Scout.com, February 17, 2006 at 4:56pm ET

Bryan Garnett Profile

In the 2004 recruiting class, Charlotte (N.C.) West’s Rod Council headed into the combine season a virtual unknown. After posting some eye-catching combine numbers, Notre Dame, Virginia, and Virginia Tech were among the schools with scholarship offers for Council.
According to head football coach Pete Gilchrist, Bryan Garnett, a 6-foot-1 250-pound lineman, has the potential to make a name for himself on the combine circuit like Council.

“Once we get the junior tape out and get him to camps I think he’s going to be like Rod Council,” said Gilchrist. “I think when he gets ‘eye-balled’ and does well in camps showing his size and strength the offers will come in.”

In addition to the Scout.com and Nike Combines, Garnett will attend summer camps at North Carolina, N.C. State, Clemson, Duke, and South Carolina. During his travels, Garnett will show off his strength and size.

“I think his best attribute is his physicality,” said Gilchrist. “Also, he didn’t really grow until the last year.”

As a junior, Garnett earned a spot on the All-Conference team as a guard after grading out at 86% and recording seven pancake blocks. He also didn’t allow a sack all season long on over 200 passing attempts.

[USCGrifter]

Gators & Jackets Offer Receiver
by Ryan Jordan of Scout.com, February 17, 2006 at 11:08am ET

Israel Troupe Profile

Irael Troupe is one of the top prospects in the Peach State for the class of 2007. This speedy Peach State receiver has already picked up two big time offers and he’s drawing interest from schools across the south.

“I have an offer from Georgia Tech and Florida offered me this morning,” Israel Troupe said.

Izzie names an early top 5.

“I like Clemson, Georgia Tech, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. I don’t have a favorite or anything yet.”

What stands out about each of his favorites?

Clemson; “Their program is getting a lot better each year.”

Georgia Tech: “With their receivers graduating and Calvin maybe going to the NFL, I think they need a good receiver.”

Florida: “They run the spread just like we do so I would already accustomed to their offense.”

Georgia: “They just got a great quarterback in in Matthew Stafford and I wouldn’t mind playing for Coach Richt.”

South Carolina: “I like Steve Spurrier and they need receivers.”

Troupe is a two sport star and is looking to play both baseball and football on the next level.

“All those schools have great baseball teams. South Carolina is recruiting me the most in baseball right now. I play outfield and I also pitch. I batted .394 with 4 homers and 50 something RBI’s last year. My on-base percentage was .495 and my fielding percentage was .998. I only committed one error all year.”

On the football field, Troupe was just as productive for Tift County.

“I had 38 catches for 498yds and 3 touchdowns receiving. I also had 3 kickoff’s for touchdowns and a punt return for a touchdown.”

[USCGrifter]

Clemson Involved after NSD?
by Roy Philpott of CUTigers.com, February 16, 2006 at 1:57pm ET

Foxy Foxworth Profile

CUTigers.com has learned that Wando High's Foxy Foxworth has scheduled an official visit to Clemson the weekend of February 25.

Foxworth, a tight end who was named to the Shrine Bowl as a senior, was expected to walk on at South Carolina this fall.

He currently does not have a scholarship offer from Clemson.

New tight ends coach Billy Napier is Foxworth's primary recruiter.

[USCGrifter]

If anyone has any specific info that they want on a certain recruit, send me a pm and I'll see what I can find.

[USCGrifter]

The Best You Haven’t Heard Of
by Don Callahan of Scout.com, February 12, 2006 at 11:10am ET

Darryl Vereen Profile

While Darryl Vereen’s name has yet to find itself on the lists of top North Carolina recruits, the speedster was among the first in-state prospects to be offered a division I-A scholarship.
“Duke is my only offer so far,” said Vereen. “They offered me over the summer as a rising junior. I went up there for a one-day camp and they [offered me].”

Vereen, a 6-foot-2 205-pound athlete with 4.4-forty speed, is also receiving interest from N.C. State, Wake Forest, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and Virginia Tech.

This summer, Vereen hopes to once again use the camping circuit as a platform to earning scholarship offers.

“I plan on attending a lot [of summer camps],” said Vereen. “[N.C.] State, [North] Carolina, Wake Forest, South Carolina, Clemson, Virginia Tech – I’m trying to attend a whole bunch.”

While still early, Vereen has his eye on a handful schools.

“I have three or four teams that I really like,” said Vereen. “I like [North] Carolina, and I’m liking N.C. State and Wake [Forest], too, but I like the Gamecocks and Virginia Tech. It’s just something about those schools. I like the atmosphere at State – I’ve been up there a couple of times.”

For Huntersville (N.C.) North Mecklenburg High School, Vereen stars as a tailback and kick returner. Most college coaching staffs are looking to keep him in the backfield, but there have been plenty of talks regarding a move to defensive back.

“Really, I will play free safety or DB if that’s where they want me,” said Vereen. “But, I like playing running back. I don’t have any problem changing my position if it’s going to benefit the team.”

Despite missing three games with a broken hand, Vereen was still able to accumulate over 1,200 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground during his junior season.

[USCGrifter]

by Roy Philpott of CUTigers.com, February 10, 2006 at 3:19pm ET

Spring Valley (S.C.) offensive lineman Quintin Richardson is scheduled to be in Clemson Friday for an unofficial visit, CUTigers.com has learned.

Richardson is considered to be one of the top 15 prospects in the state of South Carolina for the class of 2007. He's also teammates with two other Division I prospects in OL Mason Cloy and Kyle Fischer.

Richardson currently holds scholarship offers from Clemson, Maryland, South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennesee and Middle Tennessee State.

[USCGrifter]

Irish, Trojans In Lead
by Brandon Huffman of Scout.com, February 16, 2006 at 7:14pm ET

Last October, Notre Dame and USC fared off in a classic rivalry game. The next year the two will likely go at it again for Westlake Village (Calif.) Oaks Christian running back Marc Tyler (6-0, 205)
“It’s going to be between USC and Notre Dame,” said Tyler. “Right now, I’m leaning towards USC. If I make an early decision, then it would be to USC. But Notre Dame is up there too.”

Two weeks into the recruiting season, and already Tyler sports 14 scholarship offers.

“Just recently I’ve gotten offers from Oregon State, Arizona, USC, Michigan and South Carolina,” said Tyler.

But amidst all the new offers, Tyler says it is likely going to come down to a pair of rivals for his services.

Tyler did say though, that he’s no where near ready to make a decision, and that it could be next January before a decision is made.

“If I decide to wait a while, I’ll announced it at the U.S. Army All-American Game if I’m selected,” said Tyler.

Tennessee and Texas are two other schools that he is looking at closely.

His father Wendell was a running back in the 1970’s at UCLA and was the school he grew up watching. But the younger Tyler said that he’s ready to walk a different path.

“I’m just going to go somewhere where I can do my own thing. My dad is cool with it,” said Tyler. “I was up there a couple weeks ago, but I’m not really looking there right now.”

Already rated a five-star prospect by Scout.com, and the top running back in California, Tyler said the already heavy recruitment is still in the enjoyable stages.

“It’s cool because I’ve been looking forward to this for a long time,” said Tyler. “I’ve gotten to meet with some cool coaches and good programs. Me and Jimmy Clausen, we joke about who is the top recruit. He says I’m 1b and he’s 1a, then I say I’m 1a and he’s 1b. But we’re having fun with it.”

Though he’s a top-rated running back prospect, Tyler could also play linebacker at the next level. But he won’t.

“I wouldn’t play football if a school wants me to be a linebacker,” said Tyler. “I am a running back.”

Tyler said it’s a longshot he’ll attend any camps or combines this spring and summer.

“Its not really worth it for me to go,” said Tyler. “I’m just going to prove on the field next year that I am one of the best in the nation.”

During his highly-decorated junior year, Tyler rushed for 2,193 yards and 39 touchdowns on 182 attempts, including five in the CIF Division X Championship Game.

Academically, Tyler said he’s doing fine and that he was taking SAT and ACT preparation classes.

[USCGrifter]

By Mark McLeod
GatorCountry.com
Date: Feb 9, 2006

In the past two months, Ocala Trinity Catholic quarterback John Brantley has won a state championship, emerged as one of the top returning quarterbacks in the nation, and given up one of his favorite sports, baseball. Despite his recent successes and the change of pace, he continues his walk in the same manner as those legendary quarterbacks who epitomized the very definition of cool under pressure.

Ask John Brantley about the four touchdown passes he threw and you're likely to get an answer in the same tone and level of enthusiasm as how he enjoyed a soccer game. He remains cool. Should we have taken a cue from the opposition? They have failed to rattle Brantley for two years now.

"He's a kid that things roll off of his back," Trinity Catholic Coach Kerwin Bell said about his star pupil after his sophomore campaign. "He handles things really well. Even when I get on him, and I'm pretty tough on quarterbacks, he takes it. He's got a lot of confidence in himself and that's an intangible that a quarterback has to have. He has that inner confidence that great leaders have to have. You don't have to be cocky. Nobody wants a cocky guy but you have to that confidence."

His father, John Brantley III, who is an assistant coach at Trinity Catholic, just shakes his head when he talks about his son's demeanor. John Brantley, if you remember, was a two-sport star (football and baseball) at the University of Florida in the '70s. He said that when he was Johnny's age that he was heavy into the recruiting process --- getting his hands on anything he could read or anybody to talk to who might have some insight into one team or another. He seemingly craved the information. Not so with Johnny.

Despite the emphasis on recruiting with the internet, the young Celtics star simply doesn't get stressed or even the least bit consumed with the situation. And why not? With offers pouring in almost daily from all over the country he is perfectly content to calmly let the situation play out. He has a few favorites but it is far too early to nail down a solid list of schools.

"I'm kind of interested in Florida, Miami, Tennessee, South Carolina, N.C. State, Texas, and Oklahoma," said Johnny in his normally calm manner.

Florida recently held a day where several of the top junior prospects visited the campus. He said that Florida's depth chart gives them an opportunity to sign him. Even after so many trips to Gainesville with his Dad and Uncle Scot, who also starred for the Gators, what did he take away from the visit?

"It went really good," he said. "The way they sell their school ... Urban Meyer does a great job and we had a bunch of fun. It was a lot of fun. The academic guy, team chaplain, and Dwayne Thomas talked to us. I've been around Florida for so long now that I know more about the school than most people."

The Brantley family visited quite a few schools last summer. They'll soon be sitting down to discuss who and where they'll trip to before practice begins in August.

"We're (his family) trying to plan a trip to Texas," Johnny Brantley said. "We're just not sure yet though. I'll probably go to Florida because they're right up the road, but I'm not sure about any others. Me and my dad are going to have to talk about that. The Nike Camp is in Gainesville in May so I'll go to that."

He shared the quarterback duties as a sophomore and took over the team on a permanent basis this past season. He has thrown for over 4,000 yards and 58 touchdowns, while tossing just six interceptions. Anybody who has seen him has to be impressed by his mechanics.

"My sophomore year, I think that was good for me to ease into it just the way it happened to get ready for varsity," Brantley recalled. "This year I was ready to do what I was doing out on the field and feel really comfortable."

Many have questioned his running ability. He is not asked to run in Trinity Catholic's offensive system. However, he has the ability to run when necessary. For what it's worth, Trinity coaches have been told that he is faster than former Utah quarterback Alex Smith. Last week, Brantley played in an Ocala football tournament where he lined up at wide receiver throughout the event because he was the fastest player on the field. Speed is something that he'll continue to work on this summer because he knows it has long range benefits at the next level.

"I know that I have to improve my size and get bigger," he said. "I just need to get a stronger arm, I feel like. That arm strength will come with weightlifting and throwing more, and I need to work on my speed. I decided to drop out of baseball so that I could concentrate on weightlifting. I've thrown a couple of days here and there. But, I'm going to start throwing now on a regular basis. All of this weightlifting is going to make my shoulder tight. I'll be bringing Dion (LeCorn) and Lex (Peek) and a bunch of people out to the field and throw more often."

While he is without question a cool, comfortable leader that is not to be mistaken as a lack of competitive spirit. He already has his sights set on a return trip to the state championship game. He wants to lead the Celtics to back-to-back titles.

"I tell them [teammates] that it felt good to win one so why wouldn't you want to win another one?" he says. "I try to make sure they all get up to the weight room and do the right workout everyday. Everyday we're supposed to be up there. So you just have to think about it. Do you want to win another one?"

[USCGrifter]

By Robert Thorne
CUTigers.com
Date: Feb 15, 2006

One of the top running back/linebacker prospects in the state of South Carolina continues to pile up scholarship offers entering the heart of February.

Brian Maddox, one of Scout.com’s Top 10 Juniors in South Carolina, has three favorites as he prepares for an unofficial visit tour this winter.

The 6-2, 215 pound prospect is also building an impressive offer list early in the recruiting process. “Right now I have offers from Virginia Tech, South Carolina, Duke, Maryland, Vanderbilt and North Carolina State," Maddox told CUTigers.com in a recent interview. "I am also hearing from Tennessee, Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State and Clemson, but they have not offered."

When asked who his current favorites are, Maddox responded, “South Carolina, Maryland and Virginia Tech are my top three right now."

The two-way standout could play running back or linebacker at the next level. “Yeah I prefer to play running back. All three of my favorites want me at running back. I think Clemson wants me for linebacker but I am not hearing as much from them right now," he said.

If the Tigers are going to make a push for Maddox they will need to move quickly over the next few months. “I am going to announce my commitment on my birthday," he said. "My birthday is May 28. I want to do it then so I can just look back and remember. It’s an important decision. I will be ready by then.”

Maddox also said he plans on visiting several schools unofficially in the coming months, including Clemson.

"I know I am going to Maryland this weekend," he said. "I am going to North Carolina State sometime in March. Then Virginia Tech in March. I will also try to go to South Carolina and Clemson when they have their junior days.” The Palmetto standout also said he plans to attend the Scout.com combine at Duke in March.

[bleedsgarnet]

sorry grifter, couldnt read your pm..i have a pop up blocker..out..c

[GamecockDieHard]

let me tell ya that from what i have heard, there definitely will be a group of guys committing together. the school that gets those will be very fortunate. I know that steve is building a program, and even though we love our gamecocks, it IS still south carolina....It will be hard as heck to get these guys to sign on the dotted line. I just dont see us getting clausen, gray, barnes and richardson..i think David Reaves needs one more year to get firmly entrenched.

Thanks BG for acknowleding my post. One things for certain, Clausen HAS kept SoCar in his top 3 out of what...50? If Clausen breaks for us, then he just might bring some other significant talent with him. He seems pretty set on making himself a name. Being a great QB at ND or SoCal wouldn't be the first time. He has to be thinking of all the records he could break at SoCar. If he's confident enough to think he can make the difference, then we may have a chance.

[GamecockinIL]

Been a little quiet on this thread lately. I appreciate you sharing your information with us. Thanks much! :welcome:

[Carolina Cowboy]

Clausen & Co. Won't See USC This Weekend
By Phil Kornblut
RB Marc Tyler (6-0 220) of Westlake Village, CA, teammate of QB Jimmy Clausen (6-3 190), said Tuesday night they will not be coming in for USC's junior day Saturday as they had planned to at one time. "We're not going to make it this weekend, but we're all going to come in at some time," Tyler said. "We are all looking at them." Tyler said the Gamecocks have offered Clausen, DB Marshall Jones (6-1 190) and him, and have interest in some of his other teammates. And Tyler has real interest in the Gamecocks. "I don't know much about South Carolina, but I know coach Spurrier is a good coach and it's a football town," he said. "I know Mark Barnes and Gary Gray (from Richland Northeast) and we all connected real good at the Tennessee junior day." Tyler has been to junior days at Notre Dame and Tennessee and will go to Southern Cal's in April. Among his 15 offers, Tyler said he's most interest in USC, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UCLA and Michigan. Tyler is the son of former NFL running back Wendell Tyler. "I have my dad's moves but in a bigger body," he said. Tyler rushed for 2196 yards and 39 touchdowns last season. :angry:

[bleedsgarnet]

i see that nothing suddenly came up when it was time to go to notre dame and tennessee.

[pc72687]

Yeah grifter, I am not paying for rivals right now and I miss it alot, so your posts are helping out alot. We need someone with the inside info and it looks like you are the man. Keep it up!!

[SPURED]

i wonder why they decided not to come. oh well i dont think our class will be Broken if we dont get Clausen and Co. we will still have a great class in 2007

[bleedsgarnet]

because we are "south carolina"...he is from california...all of em are from california..put yourself in their shoes..marc tyler has all but stated that he is on his way to "the other usc"...As a rule, West Coast guys stay on the west coast and east coast guuys stay in the east...spurrier and company are focusing on brantley and the kids in the southeast..this group of guys is just fodder for the chat rooms..we will have a great class out of the hundreds of atheletes within 500 miles of columbia..

[SPURED]

By the way Rivals has some Captain M. videos up now! all i can say is WOW!!!!!! he is definantly as fast as advertised, and he is extremely quick. i can see him returning some kick offs and punts this year, along side of OJ. that is if he isnt redshirted. i think he will be a playmaker for us sometime in his career here.

[palmettocock]

By the way Rivals has some Captain M. videos up now! all i can say is WOW!!!!!! he is definantly as fast as advertised, and he is extremely quick. i can see him returning some kick offs and punts this year, along side of OJ. that is if he isnt redshirted. i think he will be a playmaker for us sometime in his career here.

Sounds great! Spured, arent you a member of rivals? I am seeing on the front page that Clarence Bailey has a change of plan :ohmy: can you fill us in?

[Williams-Brice]

The change of plan is that he probably won't be here for spring practice. He will more than likely make it here for the first part of the summer. That sucks, but it's not a fatal blow to the possibility of him starting in the fall.

[bleedsgarnet]

i hate to say this, but i saw that coming.

[pc72687]

Goodness, we needed him to be here for spring practice for the experience. It might not affect his starting but I would rather him have more experience since that could only make our line that much better.

[bleedsgarnet]

I am sorry but i have to say that the recruiting at usc has definitely got to pick up..I hope it will..24 rated class sounds good, but when it is 8 in the sec, what does it matter..i think the reason that we are seeing these increases in prices are because steve was really frustrated with the way this class finished..It hit him like a brick that we really dont have what other schools have to offer..heck, how does clemson have a state of the art acedemic center and we have a room off the library? oh yeah, because we built a huge azz new basketball arena and have committed ourselves to 20 million dollar baseball stadium..steve can go only so far on his reputation...I believe he moved reaves to recruiting coordinator for what he has to offer..he will be 24/7 with these guys with his boundless energy..After the bowl game ty nix was asked about the performance of the defense and he said "we need to go recruit"...i hope, for his sake, we got what we needed. usc homers on here will disagree with me to my dying day and say that we have a fine class that filled our needs. all i have to say is this..watch the video press conference on feb 1..spurrier did not look happy..he looked downright depressed to have to give the media the rundown of the signees..He really is realizing that he isnt at florida anymore..I gaurantee you that he didnt expect these results after we beat florida..He needs to take these average guys and make them play to another level to help him get a better player...now let the flamin begin..haha

[SPURED]

Sounds great! Spured, arent you a member of rivals? I am seeing on the front page that Clarence Bailey has a change of plan :ohmy: can you fill us in?
Bailey just said he was told by coach Hunt to take his time and dont rush his online course. im just glad that the coaches are giving good advice that is in the best interest of the kids instead of telling him to hurry up so the fans are happy.

[OmahaBound]

I am sorry but i have to say that the recruiting at usc has definitely got to pick up..I hope it will..24 rated class sounds good, but when it is 8 in the sec, what does it matter..i think the reason that we are seeing these increases in prices are because steve was really frustrated with the way this class finished..It hit him like a brick that we really dont have what other schools have to offer..heck, how does clemson have a state of the art acedemic center and we have a room off the library? oh yeah, because we built a huge azz new basketball arena and have committed ourselves to 20 million dollar baseball stadium..steve can go only so far on his reputation...I believe he moved reaves to recruiting coordinator for what he has to offer..he will be 24/7 with these guys with his boundless energy..After the bowl game ty nix was asked about the performance of the defense and he said "we need to go recruit"...i hope, for his sake, we got what we needed. usc homers on here will disagree with me to my dying day and say that we have a fine class that filled our needs. all i have to say is this..watch the video press conference on feb 1..spurrier did not look happy..he looked downright depressed to have to give the media the rundown of the signees..He really is realizing that he isnt at florida anymore..I gaurantee you that he didnt expect these results after we beat florida..He needs to take these average guys and make them play to another level to help him get a better player...now let the flamin begin..haha

what are you expecting? i mean seriously? did you think we were going to have a top 10 class just because of spurrier? kids were watching those games against florida and tennessee, and these kids know football. top notch players were considering us because we showed we could beat the big names in the SEC, but they also know that we still didn't play well in those games....florida and tennessee just played worse than we did. out of all the kids that we missed out on in recruiting, i would be shocked if more than 2 or 3 chose to not come here because of a lack of academic center. i forgot that football players GPAs are usually so stellar and academics are typically a top priority for most of them.

these kids are going to other schools because they think Clemson, Auburn, Florida, etc have a better chance to win a national championship or finish in the top 10. as far as next season is concerned, they're almost certainly right. the key is making them believe that in two, three, or four years from now that we will be there. some kids want to be part of the first USC team to do it (eckerson made a point to mention that in all his interviews)....but there are also going to be kids that would rather do nothing "special" at the school but have more guaranteed success.

i'm not saying that what you've said is wrong....having top notch facilities could only help...but you have got to quit your whining. what about the last year has not been exciting? isn't that what it's all about? we're watching the start of something special. are you going to label the spurrier era a failure if we don't win a national championship or SEC champ. even if we become a serious threat in the SEC and the nation every year?

can't we just have fun?!?!
:brick: :tongue:

[USCGrifter]

Alright guys - I have a bit of a break from running around the carolinas the past few days for work, so I will start putting some of Scouts paraphrased info up here when I can today.

By the way, I would like to thank those of you who warned me that scout does keep tabs on what happens to its info and where it ends up (i.e. here). So unfortunately I will not be able to paste scouts hot news snippets up here, but hopefully I can find time to paraphrase the info and keep everyone semi-up-to-date.

[USCGrifter]

Apparently, Geathers will make a decision today about whether or not he wil make an official visit to CU this weekend. He has already visited UGA and Florida State. :thumbsdow

[USCGrifter]

JC WR prospect Co-Eric Riley (6-2, 205 lbs) says that the rumors about him committing to Ole Miss are not true. He told scout that he has spoken with LSU, Southern Miss, USC, Bama, and Miss State. He will attend LSU's Junior Day.

[USCGrifter]

NC state became the 2nd school to offer LB/S Scotty Cooper from Lake City, SC ( aka the sticks).

[USCGrifter]

Rennie Moore (6'-4", 258 lbs) a TE/DE from GA, has listed his early top five in this order:
Clemsux, FSU, UGA, USC, and UF.
He has stated that he likes Clemson's team and would play defense there.

FSU wants him to play both ways and he likes that idea.

UGA wants him at DE or LB and he says he likes there LB "crew."

He likes our passing game and we want him to play TE.

He says he likes UF's Defense and says it has been good for a long time.

Moore suffered a compound fracture (breaking both bones in his lower leg) in a scrimmage before this season started and is still recovering from the injury.

[USCGrifter]

Thats all the info that I can give you guys right now, but I will keep an eye out for more updates.

[USCGrifter]

Again, if nyone wants any more in depth info on prospects, just post a request in this thread, and I'll see what I can find.

[bleedsgarnet]

dude that cartoon is giving me a headache..haha...put a nice STABLE block c up there..haha

[USCGrifter]

dude that cartoon is giving me a headache..haha...put a nice STABLE block c up there..haha

My new avatar reveals my true feelings about your request and about your apparent inability to love Stewie. Or its a guy who doesn't know how to take a poop - you decide.

[bleedsgarnet]

awesome..your all good, pooper man

[Bongo]

I am sorry but i have to say that the recruiting at usc has definitely got to pick up..I hope it will..24 rated class sounds good, but when it is 8 in the sec, what does it matter..i think the reason that we are seeing these increases in prices are because steve was really frustrated with the way this class finished..It hit him like a brick that we really dont have what other schools have to offer..heck, how does clemson have a state of the art acedemic center and we have a room off the library? oh yeah, because we built a huge azz new basketball arena and have committed ourselves to 20 million dollar baseball stadium..steve can go only so far on his reputation...I believe he moved reaves to recruiting coordinator for what he has to offer..he will be 24/7 with these guys with his boundless energy..After the bowl game ty nix was asked about the performance of the defense and he said "we need to go recruit"...i hope, for his sake, we got what we needed. usc homers on here will disagree with me to my dying day and say that we have a fine class that filled our needs. all i have to say is this..watch the video press conference on feb 1..spurrier did not look happy..he looked downright depressed to have to give the media the rundown of the signees..He really is realizing that he isnt at florida anymore..I gaurantee you that he didnt expect these results after we beat florida..He needs to take these average guys and make them play to another level to help him get a better player...now let the flamin begin..haha

No flames here. I agree with you.

[pc72687]

I don't think anyone is going to flame you for your opinions bleedsgarnet. You made your points and backed it up with evidence. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion. But you can't be mad about the basketball arena it will soon be making a load for the university and the baseball stadium was needed in order to keep our only dynasty in tack, baseball.

[scfan5338]

I don't think anyone is going to flame you for your opinions bleedsgarnet. You made your points and backed it up with evidence. Everyone is allowed to have an opinion. But you can't be mad about the basketball arena it will soon be making a load for the university and the baseball stadium was needed in order to keep our only dynasty in tack, baseball.


I totally argree with that last sentence. We only have one dynasty, and heck we need to do everything we can to keep it a dynasty. I think Steve realizes that this is going to be harder than he had imagined. I dont know why some people think we are going to have a great class this year. What makes you guys think we will have a great class? It's not like we have any commitments from players. A lot of players were interested in us, but when it came down to us and another school, they always picked the other school. There is a reason for that. We have to update our football facilities. I just hope we get the 3 guys from RNE and Maddox from T.L Hanna. They look like they are great players and we need them. I hope they don't go to UT, USC, ND, or Texas. If there is one team I think all of them will go to its ND.

[GTmorris1970]

I think this is a very good class, and the future will only get better. Spurrier has spoken many times about taking a lesser recruiting class and putting 40 or 50 points up on the top SEC recruiting classes, not only beating them but demolishing and embarrassing them. When you are in need of linemen like we were this year, you are not going to have a top 10 recruiting class. There again, those rankings are a few peoples opinion. Many of them have never coached a day of football in their lives. Spurrier filled our needs this year, and in a very solid way. You will see more skill position players for 2007 and in the future. You cannot go simply on what someone ranks us. You cannot simply go on a few kids that decided to go elsewhere at the last minute. That happens to every team every year everywhere. We are no exception, and are not immune to it. You also have to look at the redshirt players from last years class who you have never seen yet. Skill position players with speed all over the place. Remember names like OJ Murdock, Taylor Rank, Jared Cook, etc.? I personally could care less what our class ranking was, is, or anything else. This is going to be a helluva football team this year. Mark my words.

[GTmorris1970]

One other quick note. We are not expected to have any commitments during our Junior Day. If I hear any different, I will surely post it.

[GTmorris1970]

Clausen & Co. Won't See USC This Weekend
By Phil Kornblut
RB Marc Tyler (6-0 220) of Westlake Village, CA, teammate of QB Jimmy Clausen (6-3 190), said Tuesday night they will not be coming in for USC's junior day Saturday as they had planned to at one time. "We're not going to make it this weekend, but we're all going to come in at some time," Tyler said. "We are all looking at them." Tyler said the Gamecocks have offered Clausen, DB Marshall Jones (6-1 190) and him, and have interest in some of his other teammates. And Tyler has real interest in the Gamecocks. "I don't know much about South Carolina, but I know coach Spurrier is a good coach and it's a football town," he said. "I know Mark Barnes and Gary Gray (from Richland Northeast) and we all connected real good at the Tennessee junior day." Tyler has been to junior days at Notre Dame and Tennessee and will go to Southern Cal's in April. Among his 15 offers, Tyler said he's most interest in USC, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, Tennessee, UCLA and Michigan. Tyler is the son of former NFL running back Wendell Tyler. "I have my dad's moves but in a bigger body," he said. Tyler rushed for 2196 yards and 39 touchdowns last season. :angry:

They will still visit, and apparently there was a scheduling conflict for Junior Day. It is being said they all want to come here to visit together, which makes sense to me. Clausen still has Carolina right up there with the rest of the teams. We are certainly not out of it yet with him.

[rabidcock]

California DB Has USC Offer
By Phil Kornblut
DB Marshall Jones (6-1 190) of Westlake Village, CA says USC is among his seven offers right now. His others are Michigan, Ole Miss, LSU, Arizona, Tennessee and Oregon State. He's also getting contact from Southern Cal. Jones has been to junior day at Tennessee and is going to junior day at Arizona. Last season Jones had 71 tackles and 6 interceptions. About USC, Jones said he has interest but "I don't know much about South Carolina, so it's kind of hard to say how much interest I have." Jones is a teammate of QB Jimmy Clausen and might take an unofficial visit to USC with his teammates later in the spring.

Geathers Sets Final Visits
By Phil Kornblut
Unsigned OL Clifton Geathers (6-8 270) of Carvers Bay will make an official visit to Florida this weekend, and he will make an official visit to Clemson February 4th according to his father. Geathers will also try to work in a visit to USC. Geathers has visited Florida State and Georgia. His father said they hope to made a decision shortly after the trip to Clemson.

Lake City Safety Drawing Attention
By Phil Kornblut
DB Scotty Cooper (6-1 200) of Lake City has seen his stock increase in recent weeks, and it should continue climbing. Cooper has offers from uSC and North Carolina, and Clemson is close to offering according to his coach Justin Gentry. Cooper is also getting strong interest from NC State while Penn State and Georgia also are showing interest. "He's strictly a defensive player," Gentry said. "He's an old school style player. You can't coach that. He just has great instincts." Last season Cooper totaled 96 tackles with 3 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He plans to attend junior days at USC and Clemson and will make an unofficial visit to NC State.

[scfan5338]

I think Geathers will end up at clemsux

[rabidcock]

I think Geathers will end up at clemsux

Perhaps that will be his failing. :laugh:

[pc72687]

I am glad Spurrier is pushing for athletic upgrades. I just hope him saying our facilities are so low doesn't hurt this years recruiting class too much. Earlier everyone thought they were great, now he is saying otherwise.

I believe that we need improvements, but winning is probably more important then the buildings provided. And with winning comes more money so it is easier to upgrade.

[bleedsgarnet]

i totally agree.. winning is key..you gotta win..I do see a flip side to your facility worries...to get these big time recruits he can now say this to a prospective recruit.."as you can see, we have a big beautiful basketball arena, umm..cough...sorry it is half full, we are building a 20 million dollar baseball stadium, we have a big beautiful football stadium that we are gonna make even bigger for you boys, get you a cafeteria, an academic center and whatever else floats your boat.It is no problem, its all in the works..We are just gonna raise the ticket prices by 30% and let the fans bear the burden, because the fans know we need this stuff to get a kid like you, and will ante up. :whistle:

[scfan5338]

i totally agree.. winning is key..you gotta win..I do see a flip side to your facility worries...to get these big time recruits he can now say this to a prospective recruit.."as you can see, we have a big beautiful basketball arena, umm..cough...sorry it is half full, we are building a 20 million dollar baseball stadium, we have a big beautiful football stadium that we are gonna make even bigger for you boys, get you a cafeteria, an academic center and whatever else floats your boat.It is no problem, its all in the works..We are just gonna raise the ticket prices by 30% and let the fans bear the burden, because the fans know we need this stuff to get a kid like you, and will ante up. :whistle:

You seriously have something against the basketball and baseball teams and their fields/arenas. I dont know the exact numbers but last year or the year before that the ticket sales for the colonial ranked in the top 50 in the world. that means like all the shows, concerts and games that go on there. There pretty good. Our arena brings in lots of money every year, and our baseball is awesome and we are going to be good every year. you seem like a carolina fan that only a fan of the gamecocks in football and not in other sports or you dont care about any other sports.

[pc72687]

Even though it may not make us happy we have been footing the bill for SC athletics for years and will continue to do so.

[Carolina Cowboy]

I guess some of you guys would rather be like vandy and be at the bottom every year? It cost money to win in the SEC period. If you don't like it move to nashville and follow thier recruiting, I think you will change your tune.

[uscrules]

I disagree, I think Baseball and Basketball bring in money to not only support their sport, but to have left over money. Other sports are not as lucky and football is left to support them, especially womens sports.

[rabidcock]

Another Offer For Richardson
By Phil Kornblut
OL Quintin Richardson (6-5 275) of Spring Valley picked up an offer earlier this week from Auburn. That's the seventh offer for Richardson. His others are USC, Clemson, Maryland, Middle Tennessee State, Tennessee and Kentucky. And Virginia Tech appears close to making an offer. Richardson will attend USC's junior day Saturday. Richardson made an unofficial visit to Tennessee last Monday and said it was a very good visit for him especially because he grew up a Tennessee fan. But he said he does not have a current leader.

Two More From SEC For Matthews
By Phil Kornblut
Two more SEC schools have jumped in with offers for DE Cliff Matthews (6-5 230) of Cheraw. Auburn and Florida have informed Matthews and Cheraw coaches of their offers. Matthews also has offers from Clemson, USC, Tennessee and North Carolina. Matthews had planned to go to USC's junior day Saturday but won't make it in because of his basketball game.

Hey guys, let's get back on the subject of recruiting. :brick:

[Beebop]

anyone hear anything from Junior Day???

[scfan5338]

USC Holds Successful Junior Day
By Phil Kornblut
USC staged its junior day Saturday with some 45-50 prospects on hand for the four hour presentation on Gamecock football, facilities and academics. The day also included attending the USC-Vanderbilt game. “It was one of the more productive junior days I’ve seen,” said a source who was on hand for the day. “The players left with most of their questions answered. It was thorough. They also had academic information with academic advisers on hand. And coach Spurrier talked about improving the facilities including a news academic success center.”

[palmettocock]

Hey Guys, Rivals has on the front page of their football recruiting page, a big picture of John Brantley. Its very exciting that this guy is interested in us!

[Williams-Brice]

For what it's worth, Mark Barnes was wearing a black Gamecock hat at the basketball game on Saturday. I've always had the feeling that we lead with him, but we shouldn't have any thoughts of him commiting soon. He may have been playing to the crowd.

[Williams-Brice]

I am sorry but i have to say that the recruiting at usc has definitely got to pick up..I hope it will..24 rated class sounds good, but when it is 8 in the sec, what does it matter..i think the reason that we are seeing these increases in prices are because steve was really frustrated with the way this class finished..It hit him like a brick that we really dont have what other schools have to offer..heck, how does clemson have a state of the art acedemic center and we have a room off the library? oh yeah, because we built a huge azz new basketball arena and have committed ourselves to 20 million dollar baseball stadium..steve can go only so far on his reputation...I believe he moved reaves to recruiting coordinator for what he has to offer..he will be 24/7 with these guys with his boundless energy..After the bowl game ty nix was asked about the performance of the defense and he said "we need to go recruit"...i hope, for his sake, we got what we needed. usc homers on here will disagree with me to my dying day and say that we have a fine class that filled our needs. all i have to say is this..watch the video press conference on feb 1..spurrier did not look happy..he looked downright depressed to have to give the media the rundown of the signees..He really is realizing that he isnt at florida anymore..I gaurantee you that he didnt expect these results after we beat florida..He needs to take these average guys and make them play to another level to help him get a better player...now let the flamin begin..haha

. . .and this class is average because?

Recruiting is picking up. After the first few seasons under Holtz, we were lucky to finish in the Top 2 for the best players in the country. It happened, but not often. We finished in the Top 2 this year for a lot of top names (Rose, Ajiboye, Robinson, Berry, Jones, and there is reason for me to believe Hawthorne is in that group). Knowing that a good season has more impact on juniors than seniors, it's safe to believe that we are going to finish with more of these guys signing with us next year. Right now, we are on the verge of landing the guys no school would turn down, but we are not quite there, yet. Y'all we've been patient for over 110 years. Why the sudden change? Keep in mind that the only school that can go out, touch a kid on the head, and get that kid to immediately stop considering other schools is Southern Cal. We are not Southern Cal.

Please quit bickering about the facility upgrades and the ticket price increases. You know the Carolina Colliseum was old and sucked compared to everyone else's new arenas. You know the Sarge sucks compared to Texas, LSU, and everywhere else in the entire country. You know our track teams inexplicably have the worst facilities in the SEC, yet they somehow tend to be the program we can count on every year. You also know that football is THE revenue sport. Don't tell me that basketball and baseball raise money. Basketball and baseball simply do not lose money. Every sport other than football, basketball, and baseball loses money, and only football can be looked at as a true revenue sport. If we want to see improvements across the board in every sport, then we will have to see an increase in ticket costs.

Come on, we were 8th in the SEC in ticket prices this year. A little more is nothing to complain about. Tennessee has over 20,000 more seats than we do, and they charge out the wazoo compared to what we charge. Yet, we want to get on here and complain about how they have such better facilities and we might actually have to pay a higher price. It looks like just as Spurrier may have figured out this job may be harder than anticipated, many fans have figured out that there is actually a price to be paid for winning.

By the way, the Board of Trustees approved the repainting of the outside of Williams-Brice Stadium. It'll be $500,000 of your hard earned Gamecock Club cash. Let the whining begin.

[bleedsgarnet]

i want to go back to the facilities and costs one last final time and i will drop it. i dont think i worded my posts well enough...First let me say that yes i do agree that there is a PRICE to pay in the sec to be a top tier program. I believe the Price of the colonial center costs 50 million. i believe the baseball stadium was 20 million..That is 70 million dollars. All within the last 5 years..Are we getting money back from the colonial center? yes we are, but it so new that we are still behind..we havent started the baseball stadium yet..yes our baseball team deserves a stadium..I just think that could have been done first and other avenues could have been explored for basketball..It is not like i dont like the colonial center..i am against paying 50 million dollars for a facility when it might be possible to spend 10 million and refurbish the carolina coliseum..we could take the other forty million and pay for the baseball stadium in cash. we would then have 20 million left over for football facilities. We then would be able