CAN GAMECOCKS LAND MATTHEW HILL?
One of University of South Carolina head football coach Will Muschamp‘s biggest offseason coups was keeping four-star wide receiver prospect Bryan Edwards in the garnet and black.
Edwards briefly de-committed from South Carolina last year (and considered attending Clemson University), but somehow Muschamp and his staff were able to keep him on board.
The 6-foot-3, 210-pound true freshman enrolled at South Carolina in January and is likely to compete for playing time immediately this fall.
How good is Edwards? Take a look at this amazing, Alshon Jeffery-esque grab he made during practice earlier this week …
Amazing catch by Bryan Edwards#Gamecocks pic.twitter.com/k3PU8sA4pK
— Kurt Roper (@CoachKurtRoper) August 16, 2016
Spurs way, way up. pic.twitter.com/ui9L1ZkVsk
— Gamecock Football (@GamecockFB) August 16, 2016
Impressive …
This week it was reported that another four-star wide receiver recruit – Matthew Hill of Snellville, Georgia – will be coming to Columbia, S.C. for (another) visit.
The 6-foot-2, 175-pound wideout from Brookwood High School has tons of offers from the nation’s elite programs – Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State and Tennessee, to name just a few.
What’s he doing considering South Carolina?
Good question … although he looks good in a Gamecock uniform, doesn’t he?
Great day at South Carolina today #SpursUp pic.twitter.com/DlACsrGbom
— Matthew DaShawn Hill (@Matt_D_Hill) March 20, 2016
Hill – a member of the class of 2018 – is probably long way from making a decision on where he attends college. And given the breadth and depth of his offer sheet, our guess is he winds up taking his considerable talents elsewhere. But the fact South Carolina is competing for players of his caliber is encouraging.
Muschamp obviously wasn’t the Gamecocks’ first choice to be head coach. But upon inheriting program that went 3-9 last season (including a humiliating home loss to The Citadel), he managed to assemble a solid coaching staff and stave off a potential recruiting disaster.
Will those early “wins” pay off in actual wins on the gridiron? We’re about to find out …
South Carolina opens its 2016 season on Thursday, September 1 against Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tennessee. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EDT with ESPN televising the game nationally. Another SEC road tilt is scheduled for September 10 against Mississippi State (7:00 p.m. EDT – ESPN) – with the Gamecocks opening their home slate on September 17 against East Carolina (4:00 p.m. EDT – SEC Network).