Should Michael Bowman commit to USC this week as expected, what will that mean for the WR board? USC wants to sign five WR's in this class. Other names at the top of the board include Mark Barnes, Jason Barnes, Matt Clements, Dion Lecorn, Willie White, and DJ Donley. USC has two prep school placements, Jeremy Davis and Keith Graham, that are both expected to sign in February.
There are many scenario's that could play out during the course of the season. There are also many other top-notch WR prospects that USC is involved with. If today was signing day, this is how CockfatherIllustrated projects the WR class. In addition to Bowman, USC signs Jason Barnes, Dion Lecorn, Matt Clements, Keith Graham, Jeremy Davis and Mark Barnes. Both Davis and M Barnes move to safety, which is really their best position. Another possibility is that USC decides to pass on Keith Graham if both Mark and Jason Barnes commit to USC. I do think that Jeremy Davis will definitely be signed as an athlete and most likely be used as a FS. I believe Mark Barnes would make a phenomenal SS.
One thing that works in USC's favor is that most of the top prospects on their board at WR are announcing very early in the process. So there is also the process of elimination factor involved. For instance, if Jason Barnes chooses UNC, then problem solved on Keith Graham, and possibly Mark Barnes as a safety. Should Dion Lecorn choose Florida, problem solved. Same with Matt Clements if he chooses Auburn. The problem that exists is that as of today, all those players have USC as their leader and USC's coaches feel good about getting a commitment from them.
As of today, the odd man out would appear to be Keith Graham. I asked a source very close to the situation what happens if Graham blows up at Fork Union this fall. My source said, we will take him and sort it all out. Thus the possibility that M Barnes and Jeremy Davis wind up in the secondary. clearly this is a better problem than having to scramble on signing day for Kentucky commitment LaMarcus Blackwell, a two- star player with only one offer.
Okay, that's my opinion. Please discuss and list your opinions in the comments section under this post! Go Gamecocks!
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16 comments:
(accidently posted under Clement blog as well)
This has been a good topic since the news of the impending Bowman commitment. I think that with a few of the guys being WR/safety crosses, it gives us some leeway to sign up to 7 or so if we have to.
For instance, Mark Barnes is kinda the guy who figures to announce closer to signing day than the rest of them. Almost everyone considers him in the top 3 in the state, and he is definitely someone we would love to have. If we already have commitments from 5 WR plus Davis, would we really not take a commitment from M Barnes? No way, we would still take it and and sort out the positions later.
The great thing about alot of these wide recievers we are onto now is that they have size as well as speed, and this group will serve to deepen the secondary eventually, as well as the WR corps.
The guy I feel for is Inman. He is getting left out in the cold, and he has been in the "circle" from the beginning...
I kinda don't know how I feel about pulling the carpet out from under an instate kid like that, but hey, thems the breaks.
cockfather,
Do you think that Grey, Maddox, Richardson, or any of the guys that have befriended Richardson will take this hard?
Did we give Inman a "commit by this date or you may lose it" type of option?
Have you heard of this souring anyone towards the University?
does that mean we have already accepted that Hemingway is gone, or are looking elsewhere?
I think all signs point to Hemingway going out of state.
cockengr, USC will take M Barnes regardless. Another player they covet is DJ Donley. I am told that he may be the best of all the WR's that passed through USC's summer camps. IF Both DJ Donley, Jason and MArk Barnes commit to USC, Keith Graham is likely out of the equation.
As far as Inman is concerned, I also think he is on the outside looking in and GG and Q understand that. They want the very best players at USC, and if USC is getting the above mentioned prospects, then Inman is also out.
gotcha. pretty impressive if we turn down a wide reciever that ends up going to Auburn or somewhere like that.
Cockfather could you see Bowman maybe getting a look at DB also or is he strictly a WR. I know Lecorn could get a look at RB also.
Jacyn,
According to my source Spurrier, Jr. has loved Bowman from day one, so I think he will be a slot WR. He plays wingback at Anson Co. and when you watch his film you see him taking the direct hand-off while in motion much like UF ran when the OBC was there. I think they see him in that role.
I do believe USC will take another CB/FS type like Mario Butler or Jamire Williams.
cockfather,
Are our coaches intimating or flat out telling all of the wide reciever prospoects that we are only taking so many, and that we have a lot on the board, so that they need to consider committing?
And do you think the Bowman commitment may make some of these guys such as Lecorn or J Barnes think "whoa, well I better go ahead and pull the trigger"?
cockengr, I think that is highly possible. Plus, Lecorn, JBArnes, and Clements are all looking to make early decisions. It could make a kid like JR Hemingway or DJ Donley think aout doing somethng if USC is the place they want to be.
good stuff cf. You know my feeling, this was a stretch. Not ideal size, poor speed. If I was taking a 4.7 guy,. would rather have a guy who is 6'4 physical, cand jump, and has good ball skills. Anyone hear of Inman?
Personally, i am glad we arent taking him either, as we have more that are higher
fin,
that is one of the first things I thought about Bowman. If Inman is similar in measurables, and also wanted to be a Gamecock hardcore, is an in-state player, and is 6" taller...but then again, I am not a Division 1 college football coach/recruiter.
Tennessee and Va Tech offered the Bowman kid also, but he didn't even get offered from in-state North Carolina, did he?
I would just rather have gone with the in-state kid that has been buddied up with Q and GG forever.
cockfather, do you or anyone else know anything on Bowman that made the coaches feel better about him than say, Inman?
Or is it accurate that while Bowman and Inman have "slower" speed, Bowman can clock around 4.55 and Inman is really in the 4.75 range?
Well i heard that Inman did not break 4.8 forty and that is why the staff cooled on him.
It is true that Inman didn't break 4.8. He ran 4.9 at USC's camp and 4.8 at the combine in Durham.
Bowman didn't run well in Athens, but he ran 4.50 in Durham in 50 degree weather against a strong wind. He ran 4.52 at USC's camp.
I would have still held him off for a few weeks, but I do trust Jr. when it comes to evaluating WR's. Lecorn will be cutting it close academically and so will MBarnes, although I did hear form a very reliable source that MB scored 920 on the SAT, and that with his GPA he may be okay.
Fin, CF and all. I have a feeling that Bowman will not count against our # of WR's. I think he will be a special teams player, and a "specialist" in that he'll only be on the field in certain situations. I think that's the role that he presents and that the coaches like him for. Fin, he is a lot faster than his 4.6 at Nike. IMO, we take Graham and Davis no matter what, Barnes, Donley, J Barnes, and Lecorn. Call it quits there with the #1 WR recruiting class in the country.
Rivals.com rankings for our signees at WR when the final rankings come out:
Jason Barnes-5.8 4*
Mark Barnes-6.0 4*
Michael Bowman-5.5 3*
Jeremy Davis-prep 5*
DJ Donley-5.9 4*
Keith Graham-prep 4*
Dion Lecorn-5.9 4*
Oh god I forgot about Matt Clements. Our WR board is way too cluttered for me to see the end result right now. Throw Clements in there too and toss out one of Keith Graham, Jason Barnes, DJ Donley, Dion Lecorn. I think the most likely not to pick us is Donley/Lecorn so one of them. This will still be the #1 WR class in the nation imo.
Eddy, from what I can gather, Bowman will play slot WR. Spurrier Jr. absolutely is sold on this guy. He ran 4.50 at the Durham Scout.com combine and ran 4.5 at USC's prospect camp. He will be one of the 5 WR's in this class. IF USC gets JBarnes, Clements, Lecorn, and Mark Barnes, that will be the 5. Jeremy Davis will count as a FS and unless Graham has a break out season at FUMA, he may be the odd man out. Another guy that Jr. absolutely loves is DJ Donley. His workout at USC's camp was stellar.
And btw Eddy, I'm glad you made it over here!
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