Floyd off the board

South Carolina's courtship of five star defensive tackle Shariff Foyd came to an abrupt end today. According to ESPN recruiting analyst JC Shurburtt, Floyd has canceled his January 15th official visit to Columbia and will make his decision final on January 9th when he makes his college choice on NBC during the U.S. Army All-American game.

Give credit to Carolina assistant GA Mangus for keeping the Gamecocks in the game as ling as he has. I have been impressed with Mangus approach on the recruiting trail, and personally believe before this recruiting cycle comes to an end, Mangus will land some big-time prospects for the Gamecocks.

To be in the game with the No. 1 DT prospect according to rivals.com this late in the game is a credit to the tenacity and recruiting prowess of Mangus. Lets face it, it is difficult for a 7-5 team, and that what carolina is over the past 5 years...a 7-6 program under Steve Spurrier to go into a different region of the country and pull out a defensive tackle, when Florida, Ohio State, and Southern Cal are hot his trail and have received official visits. Still, as late as last Thursday evening, word out of the Gamecock camp was that they thought they were in the game and in Floyd's top 3, without the benefit of an official visit.

Floyd made his fourth official visit this past weekend to Chapel Hill. I'm sure defensive line coach John Blake was not too flattering in his portrayal of South Carolina. I doubt Butch Davis heaped much praise on the Ole Ball Coach either.

It never ceases to amaze me the things one hears out of Chapel Hill. They don't want to play South Carolina in football, becuase they realize they probably can't win, yet they recruit this state with fervor. I won't get into all the specifics I have heard about Blake's tactics, but lets just say that he is not the most positive recruiter out there, nor the most honest.

Yet, I digress.

Now, where does that leave South Carolina for defensive linemen in this recruiting cycle? Outside of Marietta, GA, Walton HS standout and current Vanderbilt commit Kyle Woestmann, I don't really see the Gamecocks as major players for any other defensive line prospects. Five star DE Ego Ferguson has yet to schedule an official visit with South Carolina, and despite the efforts of Carolina assistant coach Jay Graham, USC appears to be on the outside looking in for Ferguson. The Gamecocks were scheduled to receive a January 15th visit from Warner Robbins HS four star standout Jeff Whitaker, but since the departure of Eric Wolford, I doubt that visit takes place. The Gamecocks were trailing Auburn and Georgia for Whitaker before Wolford left.

Should the Gamecocks sign only two defensive line prospects, this will be two classes in a row that they have come up short at that position. Last season, Chaz Sutton and Ronald Byrd were the only two DL prospects to enroll at Carolina. Defensive end Leon Mackey's failure to qualify for enrollment was a crushing blow.

Carolina will look to the class of 2011 and for the defensive line, the city of Rock Hill South Carolina, where big-time DE Jadaveon Clowney and Gerald Dixon and his brother Gerald Dixon reside. DE Roderick Byers is also a Rock Hill native that could receive an offer from the Gamecocks.

In Manning, SC 2011 DT Phillip Dukes will be a major priority for defensive line coach Brad Lawing. The Gamecocks should also be major players to resign Mackey, provided his academics are in order.