Gamecock Commits Impress in San Antonio

For the first time since the game began ten years ago, the South Carolina Gamecocks were represented in the U.S. Army All-America game. Carolina had one verbal commitment heading into the contest, as Greenwood, SC Defensive lineman Kelcy Quarles pledged to the Gamecocks as a junior. The 6-foot-5, 275-pound son of former offensive lineman Buddy Quarles alternated at defensive tackle with Florida bound Sharrif Floyd. Quarles was impressive, as he was explosive off the ball, used his hands well and played with good pad level and leverage. The No. 2 DT prospect nationally according to Rivals.com is still built like a DE and will need to add 20-30 more pounds to be an effective DT in the SEC, but nonetheless, Quarles was impressive going against 300 plus pound offensive guards and tackles.

It is easy to see why Quarles garners such a lofty national ranking. Not only is he qucik and explosive off the ball, but he also does an excellent job using his hands to get leverage, which is an advanced skill, and one that he no doubt learned at summer camp from USC defensive line coach Brad Lawing, who really believes in teaching hand and arm leverage techniques to his linemen.

I expect Quarles to start off playing strong side defensive end as a freshman, and then move inside after a full year in strength coach Craig Fitzgerald's weight program. It is doubtful Quarles will redshirt, as a source close to the USC program believes the prep-All-American is just too good to sit out, even with USC's depth at end. Quarles is a legacy, and a great get for the Carolina program, joining other young studs as Devin Taylor and Chaz Sutton to ensure Carolina's defensive line continues to be one of the best in the SEC after the departure in 2010 of three starters.

At the conclusion of the first quarter, CB prospect Victor Hampton finally made a public commitment to the Gamecocks. This was perhaps the worst kept secret of the recruiting season, as many have known since November Hampton would be a Gamecock. The 5-foot-11, 175-pounder was one of the biggest surprises of the week and it is now easy to see why the Florida Gators accepted such an early commitment from Hampton. Rivals expert Mike Farrell stated that Hampton was the top corner on the East squad after his performance this past week.

Hampton plays with wild abandon and shows no fear. He plays lie he is the best on the field, using excellent speed and great ball skills. I fully expect him to be a contributor immediately at South Carolina. Kudo's to South Carolina assistant head coach for defense Ellis Johnson and defensive coordinator Lorenzo Ward for staying on Hampton after he was dismissed from the Independence HS program in Charlotte over the summer. While it took almost half the season, Hampton did gain eligibility at Darlington HS, where his mother resides and made teh most of his senior season. Hampton showed he has elite cover skills and showed excellent run ssupport as well in the Army All-American contest.

As long as he keeps his nose clean and does the right things at South Carolina, I think Hampton will continue the trend of Gamecock DB's taking their skills to the next level.

Carolina target Marcus Lattimore was also impressive in limited duty. The 6-foot, 200-pound Byrnes HS product is clearly one of the nation's finest, and overall, I think the most sure fire NFL back in the contest. While Lattimore will not be confused with CJ Spiller, a speedster that is a game breaker, but lacks durability, Lattimore is the total package. He has good speed, but is quicker than he is fast and has the best foot work and change of direction skills of any back I have seen come out of South Carolina since Harold Green. Because of the sophistication and versatility of the Byrnes offense, Lattimore has developed great receiving skills, which is another reason why I think playing in an offense like Spurrier and GA Mangus plan to deploy will highlight Lattimores skills even more and help him develop into a top notch NFL back, along the same lines as Fred Taylor and Eric Rhett.

Barring anything unforeseen, I fully expect Lattimore to ink with the Gamecocks after he makes his public declaration at his church on signing day eve. New running backs coach Jay Graham has done a fantastic job building a relationship with Lattimore, and is a great example for his next star pupil. Graham starred in the SEC and then took his game to the NFL, something Gamecock fans hope this upstate product will do.

The news was not all good for the Gamecocks, as USC target Sharrif Floyd selected Florida over USC, Ohio State, and North Carolina. The Gamecocks were thought to be out of the running for the top rated defensive tackle, but a late push by recruiters GA Mangus and Brad Lawing placed the Gamecocks back in the game, and there were rumors swirling on the eve of his decision that lead many to believe he may ultimately choose the Gamecocks. However, the 6-foot-3, 310-pounder selected the Gators, despite the uncertainty of Florida head coach Urban Meyer's health and the fact the Gators are absolutely loaded at DT.

Gamecock assistants GA Mangus, Jay Graham, and Brad Lawing were in San Antonio to meet with Carolina target J.R. "Ego" Ferguson. The 6-foot-3, 265-pound defensive end started for the East squad and is rated as a five-star prospect by Rivals.com. Lawing and Graham met with Ferguson and his father to try and secure the Hargrave standout's final official visit on January 29th. Sources say the meeting was positive, but the Gamecocks are battling FSU and Miami, so stay tuned. TBS insider Tony Morrell believes a decision will be made by early next week on who gets the last visit.