Cockfather Illustrated's SC Sweet 16 for 2007

This will be the initial and pre-fall list for the top 16 players in the state of South Carolina. We will update the list periodically throughout the year, with the final Sweet 16 list coming in January, after the Shrine Bowl and Noth-South All-Star games.

1)Willard Korn 6'1 190 4.7 QB Byrnes HS- Korn is the consensus number one prospect in the state for this season. The two time AAAA State Champion gave a verbal commitment to Tommy Bowden and the Clemson Tigers prior to the 2005 season. Make no mistake about it, Korn has all the toold to be successful at the next level, and with a December 2006 graduation on the horizon, he could conceivably start from day one at Clemson during the 2007 season.

2)Quintin Richardson 6'4 275 4.8 OL/DL Spring Valley HS- Richardson is a rare prospect that could excel on either side of the ball on the collegiate level. The two-way line prospects stock sky-rocketed at the Gainesville, FL Nike Combine in May. Many coaches there openly said he was the best prospect at the entire camp. He could play DT as a true freshman, or red-shirt and play RT down the line. Richardson committed to play for USC in April.

3)Mark Barnes 6'2 193 4.55 ATH Richland Northeast HS-Barnes is another national recruit that could excel on either side of the ball in college. He is under rated as a WR because of the offense he plays in. He has tremendous hands and is a surprisingly refined route runner. Barnes is also an excellent FS/SS prospect, as he has great instincts and can break on the ball. The RNE product holds offers from USC, Clemson, Southern Cal, Notre Dame, FSU, Florida and many others.

4)Cliff Mathews 6'4 223 4.6 DE/TE Cheraw HS- This jumbo-athlete also saw his stock sky-rocket in Gainesville last May, displaying outstanding skills as a speed rusher. Also a talented basketball player, Matthews is deciding between USC, Georgia and Clemson. A decision could come as early as late July. USC has led for most of the recruiting process, but recently Matthews final three are, in order, UGA, Clemson, and USC.

5)Gary Gray 5'10 165 4.52 CB Richland Northeast HS- Gray is considered by many as one of the premiere cover corners in the country. He was the first commitment in the class of 2007 for Steve Spurrier's Gamecocks, as he made his intentions known during a March press conference from the RNE auditorium. Gray lacks superior speed, but is a sure tackler and is both confident and aggressive in press coverage. While I really like Gray as a prospect, I cannot rate him as highly as others because of this lack of speed. However, Gray will have every opportunity to improve his speed as he adds size and strength, as he is only 16 years old. He will graduate in December of 2006 and enroll at USC in time to go through both winter workouts and spring practice with the Gamecocks.

6)Carlos Dunlap 6'6 240 4.7 DE Fort Dorchester HS- Dunlap has not seen as much media attention as the other top rated prospects in SC, as he did not make any spring visits or attend any combines. However, that shouldn't deter his ranking. Dunlap is a true jumbo-athlete that is still growing into his 6'6 frame. He is only 16 years old and had a great junior season. When all is said and done, Dunlap could move into the top 5. At present time, his top college choices are USC, UGA, TN, and FL. Clemson and NC State have also offered.

7)JR Hemingway 6'2 200 4.5 WR Conway HS- Hemingway is another top notch prospect that didn't make a lot of noise in the spring. He didn't attend any combines or make college visits. However, Hemingway just arrived back home from a whirlwind tour that took him to Michigan, Ohio State, and Notre Dame. In addition, Hemingway currently lists Florida, Miami, FSU, South Carolina, and Virginia Tech as schools under consideration for his college destination.

8)Jarvis Jenkins 6'4 293 5.4 DT Daniel HS- Jenkins is the top interior defensive lineman in the class of 2007, and just like Willard Korn, gave his commitment to Clemson's staff prior to the 2005 season during a summer camp session hosted by Tommy Bowden and staff. Jenkins was out of shape at the Clemson Nike Combine, but was still very impressive in 1-on-1 drills, showing explosive speed and getting by many of the OL's on hand that day.

9)Brian Maddox 6' 215 4.5 RB T.L. Hanna HS- Easily the top rated RB in the class of 2007, Maddox made his verbal commitment to join the South Carolina Gamecocks on June 2nd. The standout Rb prospect possesses a rare combination of size and speed. He shows an excellent burst at the line of scrimmage, and also has the ability to break tackles. Another trait that separates Maddox from many big backs is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. He will be the perfect fit in Steve Spurrier's offense. Maddox chose USC over offers from Clemson, NC, VT, FSU, FL, AL, LSU, TN, and Auburn among others.

10)Scotty Cooper 5'11 200 LB Lake City HS- Once considered a South Carolina lean, Cooper selected Clemson last month while visitin the Pickens County campus for a two-day camp session. Cooper has outstanding speed, having been timed at 10.5 in the 100m and 4.45 in the 40-yard dash. Cooper selected the Tigers over offers from USC, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, Penn State, Michigan, and others.

11)Xavier Dye 6'4 193 4.6 WR Greenwood HS- Another early commitment for the Clemson Tigers, Dye is a tall, rangy athlete that has great upside. While he does not possess great ball skills now, he showed signs of improvement at the Clemson Nike Camp last May. Dye is attempting to transfer to Byrnes HS, where he would form the top QB/WR combination in the state with Willard Korn. This would accelerate the development of Dye's ball skills, and could push him to 4 star status by season's end.

12)Stanley Hunter 5'11 203 4.55 Byrnes HS- A speedy OLB prospect in the same mold as many former Clemson Tigers such as Keith Adams, Leroy Hill, and Anthony Simmons, Hunter hopes to continue that tradition. He gave his verbal commitment to Clemson at a June news conference from the Byrnes campus. Hunter plays DE at Byrnes, but also plays well in space and possesses great recovery speed. He chose Clemson over offers from USC, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech.

13)Mason Cloy 6'4 240 4.9 OC Spring Valley HS- Cloy is one of three division one prospects on the offensive line at Spring Valley High School. Cloy played both OC and TE as a junior, but projects as a center on the collegiate level. Cloy will make his college decision soon and Clemson appears to be the favorite at this time.

14)Charles White 5'11 209 4.74 LB Blythewood HS- A physical run stopper with good athletic ability, White gave the Georgia Bulldogs his verbal commitment shortly after his performance at the Athens, GA Nike Combine in late April. It was at that combine that UGA assistant coach John Fabris issued a scholarship offer. It should be noted that after evaluating White, neither Clemson or USC extended an offer.

15)David Smith 6'4 265 5.36 OT Greenville HS- Smith is a good looking offensive line prospect that gave his verbal commitment to Clemson just after signing day in 2006. Smith has a good frame, but will need time to add the bulk necessary to compete in the trenches. He should be a major contributor by his red-shirt sophomore season.

16)Markish Jones 6'0 183 4.45 ATH Broome HS- Jones is a top notch athlete and a three event state track champion, winning the AA meet in the 100m, 200m, and the 400m. He projects as either a WR or DB on the college level. He currently has offers from Kentucky, MD, NC, VT, and ECU and is under evaluation by USC and Clemson.