Gamecocks Display Unique Commitment To Recruiting New Areas
The best coaching staffs never stop recruiting. You can't leave any stone unturned in your search, as elite athletes come from all areas of the country.
However, most staffs get lazy and stick to the same areas. They recruit their home state, the surrounding area, and typically one outer region such as the west coast.
South Carolina is not most coaching staffs. The Gamecocks are after multiple regions simultaneously while keeping the best players in the Palmetto State home to play in garnet and black.
For example, they have recently developed a DMV pipeline. South Carolina signed three players from the area in the 2023 cycle, and uncommitted tight-end target Nyckoles Harbor is also from the area.
- Desmond Umeozulu, EDGE
- Oluwatosin Babalade, OT
- Zahbari Sandy, DB
They have been to Connecticut to recruit and do it well. Quarterback commit Dante Reno plays for The Loomis Chaffee School, and South Carolina is also in on two of his teammates, defensive linemen Jacob Smith and Jerod Smith.
While Mississippi is in the southeast, it is roughly eight hours from South Carolina. For reference, they hadn't signed a player from Mississippi for four seasons before head coach Shane Beamer arrived.
Suddenly, the Gamecocks are positioned well for two of the top players from the state in the 2024 cycle. Running back Daniel Hill and defensive lineman Kamarion Franklin included the garnet and black in their top tens, a major win.
Eleven of the top fifteen players in Mississippi stayed home in the 2023 class. Of the four that left, only two remained in the SEC. However, there is a lot of talent in the area, meaning developing connections may prove essential.
While the staff likely won't land all these prospects, it explains why they continue upward. Early signs suggest the program will bring home a historic 2024 signing class, and this relentless effort is why.
Developing pipelines is essential in recruiting. When prospects know that you care enough to travel routinely and visit them, it's at least something to think about when they make their final decision.
The strategy will prove especially helpful in the transfer portal era. Even if a recruit doesn't pick South Carolina the first time, when they opt for a new location, they should remember how active the coaching staff was despite the distance.
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