Muschamp and Roper Making Impact, Land Two, Bring Bryan Edwards Back to Gamecocks
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @HogManInLA
South Carolina fans have been through a bumpy road with recruiting over the last couple of years. From recruits not making their grades or test scores, to a fallout about a potential Steve Spurrier retirement, and then to his actual shocking mid-season retirement, Gamecock Nation has been through the grind. Some stability is back in Columbia with SEC veteran Will Muschamp at the helm, Kurt Roper as the offensive coordinator, and Ellis Johnson back controlling the defense.
All the positive changes are starting to show on the recruiting trail with two recruits verbally committing to South Carolina on Tuesday, wide receiver Bryan Edwards and defensive end Sadarius Hutcherson.
Edwards is a recommitment to South Carolina. The Gamecocks lost him in mid-November with a momentary flirtation with Clemson. Edwards is one of the more highly rated wide receivers in the nation after doing a little bit of everything for Conway High School. The Tigers lined him up on the outside, inside, and used him on kick and punt returns. Despite his big size for a receiver at 6’2’, 205 pounds, he showed breakaway speed on the high school gridiron.
Some of the schools offering Edwards includes Cal, Virginia Tech, North Carolina, Duke, Florida, Wake Forest, Clemson, and Florida.
Hutcherson was a two-way player for Huntingdon High School playing offensive and defensive line but is being recruited as a defensive end. The 6’6”, 250 pound, athlete helped the Mustangs to a 10-2 record in 2015 coming up with 45 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, two sacks, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection in 11 games played. During his junior season he had 53 tackles, 11 tackles for a loss, and six sacks.
Teams offering the Tennessee native include San Diego State, Middle Tennessee State, Nevada, Memphis, Louisville, and Arizona State. Hutcherson has taken unofficial visits to Tennessee, Louisville, and Memphis. He had planned official visits to Arizona State, Jan. 22, and Memphis on Jan. 29, all after an official to Columbia on Jan. 15.
The Gamecocks recruiting class had as many as 17 verbal commitments at one point but started to fall apart after Spurrier’s retirement. With the two new editions, South Carolina is back up to 14 recruits for their 2016 recruiting class.
2016 South Carolina Gamecocks Verbal Commitment List (14)
CB Tre Jackson, 5’10”, 178 lbs, Univ. Lab HS, Baton Rouge, LA
DE Griffin Gentry, 6’2”, 255 lbs, Homewood HS, Birmingham, AL
DE Sadarius Hutcherson, 6’6”, 250 lbs, Huntingdon HS, Huntingdon, TN
DE Cecil Stallings, 6’4”, 250 lbs, Tucker HS, Atlanta, GA
DE Darius Whitfield, 6’3”, 265 lbs, St. Paul’s Episcopal, Mobile, AL
LB Jacorey Morris, 6’3”, 220 lbs, Clarke County HS, Grove Hill, AL
OT Akeem Cooperwood, 6’7”, 325 lbs, Georgia Military College, Milledgeville, GA
OT Peter Leota, 6’5” 300 lbs, Asheville HS, Asheville, NC
OG Lloyd Cushenberry, 6’4”, 310 lbs, Dutchtown HS, Geismar, LA
OG Will Putnam, 6’5”, 270 lbs, Hickory Ridge HS, Harrisburg, NC
RB C.J. Freeeman, 5’11”, 195 lbs, Northern Guilford HS, Greensboro, NC
QB Brandon McIlwain, 6’0”, 188 lbs, Council Rock North, Newtown, PA
WR Bryan Edwards, 6’3”, 205 lbs, Conway HS, Conway, SC
WR Chris Smith, 5’10”, 170 lbs, South Pointe HS, Rock Hill, SC
Photo credit: mertylebeachonline.com; No. 4 Bryan Edwards in action for Conway.