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2014 Football Signing Day
Steve Spurrier
(It is
a) good day for the Gamecocks. We really believe we have an outstanding
group of players that have signed with us today. We still have one out
there that hasn't signed so we'll have to wait that one out. Other than
that we believe we have addressed a lot of our needs. As all the
Gamecocks know, we lost three starting defensive linemen in Jadaveon
Clowney, Chaz Sutton and Kelcy Quarles. We have signed I think seven
defensive linemen. Another need was defensive back, defensive corner
especially with Victor Hampton and Jimmy Legree, one being a senior and
one leaving early, we need to replace those players. We've picked up
four or five defensive back type players that will come in and compete
with the guys we've got to play that position next year. Eight guys on
offense and we think we've got some good ones that are going to fill
in. We lost Bruce Ellington, Ronald Patrick and the best quarterback to
ever play here, Connor Shaw. That's an area we have to replace and we
think Dylan Thompson in an excellent player. Overall I think it's a
really good class, we're thrilled with all these guys and we think
they're going to fit in very well. We have a chance to have continued
success here at South Carolina.
On if he was recruiting players who can come in and contribute this fall
Steve Spurrier
Possibly,
we've got a lot of good players here. Last year we were the youngest
team in Division I football. We only had four seniors on the team so
they departed as well as four players who left early. There are some
opportunities for these freshmen to play, there's a good chance some of
them can play a bunch next year.
On getting some guys to choose South Carolina on the last day
Steve Spurrier
It
certainly makes it [the signing class] stronger. Right now all the
paper we've sent out has come back with a signature on it. It doesn't
always happen that way. A lot of times these guys at the end don't know
which direction they're going, but we certainly are thrilled that all
these players we had a shot at decided to come with us.
Impact on the continuity of wining helping recruiting
Steve Spurrier Jr.
It
makes a huge impact. Winning helps recruiting and recruiting helps
winning. It's a strong cycle. If we go back about four or five years
ago and that initial class that really came with us, Stephon Gilmore,
DeVonte Hollman, those guys really made a difference and kind of pushed
it over the edge with future guys coming here.
To have won 11
the last there years, the exposure we've gotten, players know if they
come to South Carolina they can play at the highest level and they want
to know that. When we go to a house and turn that sheet over with all
of our accomplishments, its impressive, it certainly helps.
On the defensive group
Steve Spurrier Jr.
Our
biggest need is defensive line and secondary. We signed seven defensive
linemen and hopefully four or five secondary players that we really
think are exceptional players and mean a lot to this class.
On recruiting in-state players
Steve Spurrier
I
think it's always important to get the best guys in your state;
certainly Clemson gets their share also. It really might be one big
reason we're winning 11 games instead of seven like we have in years
back. When you get the best players to stay in state, then you're able
to go to the border states like Georgia, North Carolina and a little
bit down into Florida where there a good players also. You need to keep
the good ones within our state. Both schools [South Carolina and
Clemson] have been in the top-10 the last two years so both schools
have done pretty well. It's a good selling point for our state. NAME POS. HT. WT. HOMETOWN (HIGH/LAST SCHOOL)
Bryson Allen-Williams LB 6-1 231 Ellenwood, Ga. (Cedar Grove)
Joe Blue FB 5-10 255 Dillon, S.C. (Dillon)
Kevin Crosby TE 6-1 230 Bamberg, S.C. (Bamberg-Ehrhardt)
Shaq Davidson WR 5-11 170 Gaffney, S.C. (Gaffney)
Terry Googer WR 6-4 210 Atlanta, Ga. (Woodward Academy)
Wesley Green CB 5-10 176 Lithonia, Ga. (Martin Luther King)
Al Harris Jr. CB 5-11 162 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (St. Thomas Aquinas)
Abu Lamin* DT 6-4 295 Fayetteville, N.C. (Trinity Christian/
Fort Scott C.C.)
Chris Lammons CB 5-10 172 Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Plantation)
Blake McClain DE 6-3 265 Jacksonville, Fla. (Sandalwood)
Kalan Ritchie DE 6-5 226 Goose Creek, S.C. (Goose Creek)
Tyshun Samuel WR 6-0 192 Inman, S.C. (Chapman)
Dante Sawyer DE 6-2 235 Suwanee, Ga. (North Gwinnett)
Michael Scarnecchia QB 6-4 189 Fleming Island, Fla. (Fleming Island)
Darin Smalls CB 5-11 180 Summerville, S.C. (Summerville)
D.J. Smith CB 5-11 189 Marietta, Ga. (Walton)
Taylor Stallworth DT 6-2 293 Mobile, Ala. (Murphy)
Donell Stanley OL 6-4 346 Floydale, S.C. (Latta)
Jhaustin Thomas DE 6-6 255 Covington, Ga. (Columbia/Trinity Valley C.C.)
Dexter Wideman DT 6-4 270 Saluda, S.C. (Saluda)
Malik Young OL 6-3 318 Pelzer, S.C. (Woodmont)
*Enrolled in January 2014
By Position
Quarterback (1): Michael Scarnecchia
Fullback (1): Joe Blue
Wide Receiver (3): Shaq Davidson, Terry
Googer, Tyshun Samuel
Tight End (1): Kevin Crosby
Offensive Line (2): Donell Stanley, Malik
Young
OFFENSE (8)
DEFENSE (13)
Defensive End (4): Blake McClain, Kalan
Ritchie, Dante Sawyer, Jhaustin Thomas
Defensive Tackle (3): Abu Lamin, Taylor
Stallworth, Dexter Wideman
Linebacker (1): Bryson Allen-Williams
Cornerback (5): Wesley Green, Al Harris Jr.,
Chris Lammons, Darin Smalls, D.J. Smith
By STATE
Alabama (1): Taylor Stallworth
Florida (4): Al Harris Jr., Chris Lammons,
Blake McClain, Michael Scarnecchia
Georgia (6): Bryson Allen-Williams, Terry
Googer, Wesley Green, Dante Sawyer, D.J.
Smith, Jhaustin Thomas
North Carolina (1): Abu Lamin
South Carolina (9): Joe Blue, Kevin Crosby,
Shaq Davidson, Kalan Ritchie, Tyshun Samuel,
Darin Smalls, Donell Stanley, Dexter Wideman,
Malik Young
BRYSON ALLEN-WILLIAMS
Linebacker
6-1 231
eLLenWOOD, Ga. (ceDar GrOVe)
Attended Cedar Grove (Ellenwood, Ga.) High School.... coached by Jimmy Smith...
the Saints went 7-5 in his senior season, reaching the second round of the state AAA
playoffs... earned Class AAA second-team all-state honors by the Georgia Sportswrit-
ers... earned a spot on the AJC’s Class AAA All-Metro squad... played in the U.S.
Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio, Texas following his senior season... collected
99 tackles with 22 tackles for loss including 16 sacks, three fumble recoveries and an
interception as a junior... was an AT&T Georgia Junior Bowl selection... recorded 64
tackles as a sophomore... Rivals.com considers him a four-star prospect, the sixth-
best outside linebacker in the nation, No. 103 overall, and the 28th-best player in
the state of Georgia... Scout.com gives him a four-star rating, is No. 12 on its list
of outside linebackers and No. 138 overall... 247Sports.com lists him as a four-star
recruit, the nation’s No. 6 outside linebacker, the seventh-best player in the state of
Georgia and No. 96 on its Top247 list... ESPN considers him a four-star prospect, No.
162 on its ESPN300 list, the 10th-best outside linebacker in the nation and the 11th-
best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a four-star prospect and No. 208 on
the Top 300 All-American Team... also visited UCLA, Alabama and Georgia and had
offers from over 20 other major schools... born October 15, 1996... was the second
commitment in the Gamecocks’ 2014 recruiting class.
JOE BLUE
FULLback
5-10 255
DiLLOn, S.c. (DiLLOn)
Played on both sides of the ball at Dillon (S.C.) High School, seeing action at run-
ning back, fullback and linebacker for the Wildcats... was an all-region and all-state
player... coached by Jackie Hayes... helped his team to a 12-2 record and the state
title in 2013... named the High School Sports Report Division I-AA Defensive Player
of the Year... played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following his senior sea-
son... logged six tackles with two tackles for loss and scored a rushing touchdown
in the contest... had 17 carries for 96 yards and a touchdown to help Dillon win the
2012 state championship... logged 16 rushing touchdowns as a junior... Rivals.com
lists him as a three-star prospect, the No. 5 fullback in the nation and the 16th-best
player in the state... Scout.com ranks him as a three-star prospect and the 54th-best
middle linebacker in the country... 247Sports considers him a three-star prospect,
the 28th-best player in the state and the nation’s 36th-best inside linebacker... ESPN
considers him a three-star prospect, the 29th-best inside linebacker in the nation and
the 21st-best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a three-star prospect and an
All-Atlantic Region pick... also offered by Auburn, Florida, Georgia Tech and Virginia
Tech... Joseph Hakeem Blue was born October 27, 1994... interested in sports medi-
cine... enjoys reading about Malcolm X... was the first commitment in the 2014 re-
cruiting class... comes from the same high school that produced current Gamecocks
Bryce King, D.J. Park and Kwinton Smith.
KEVIN CROSBY
TiGHT enD
6-1 230
baMberG, S.c. (baMberG-eHrHarDT)
“KC” saw action at a number of positions for Bamberg (S.C.)-Ehrhardt High School...
caught 43 passes for 571 yards and 12 touchdowns for the Red Raiders in his senior
season... team finished with a 7-6 record and a spot in the semifinals of the AA-II
playoffs... coached by his father, Kevin Crosby... earned a spot on the statewide all-
state team as selected by the High School Sports Report... selected to the all-region
team by the Orangeburg Times and Democrat... played in the Shrine Bowl of the
Carolinas and in the Under Armour All-America game following his senior season...
Rivals.com rates him as a four-star prospect, the sixth-best player in the state and the
11th-best tight end in the country... Scout.com ranks him as a three-star prospect and
the 19th-best tight end in the country... considered a four-star prospect, the ninth-best
player in the state, and the eighth-best tight end in the nation, according to 247Sports.
com... ESPN considers him a four-star prospect, No. 143 on its ESPN300 list, the
fourth-best tight end in the nation and the third-best player in the state... ranked by
PrepStar as a four-star prospect and No. 116 on the Top 150 Dream Team... Kevin
Crosby Jr. was born May 23, 1996... comes from the same high school as A.J. Cann.
SHAQ DAVIDSON
WiDe receiVer
5-11 170
GaFFneY, S.c. (GaFFneY)
Gaffney (S.C.) High School product... coached by Dan Jones... led the Indians to
an 8-4 record as a senior... played quarterback, throwing for 1,539 yards and 13
touchdowns and rushing for 762 yards and seven scores... played in Shrine Bowl of
the Carolinas and in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio... team reached
the state championship game during his junior campaign... Rivals.com considers
him a three-star prospect, the third-best player in the state and the 56th-best wide
receiver in the country... Scout.com ranks him as a four-star prospect, the 22nd-best
wide receiver in the country and No. 120 overall... considered a four-star prospect,
the sixth-best player in the state, the 36th-best wide receiver in the nation and the
241st-best player overall according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a four-
star prospect, No. 146 on its ESPN300 list, the 17-best wide receiver in the nation
and the fourth-best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a four-star prospect
and No. 102 on the Top 150 Dream Team... Shaquille Davidson was born November
18, 1994... also visited Auburn.
TERRY GOOGER
WiDe receiVer
6-4 210
aTLanTa, Ga. (WOODWarD acaDeMY)
Versatile athlete who played quarterback, wide receiver and defensive back for the
War Eagles of Woodward Academy in Atanta... played for head coach John Hunt, the
former offensive line coach at South Carolina... team finished with a 9-3 record in his
senior season and advanced to the second round of the AAA playoffs... threw for 967
yards and 10 touchdowns and ran for 1,116 yards and 16 scores... also lettered in
basketball and track... Rivals.com considers him a four-star prospect, the 26th-best
player in the state, and the 19th-best “athlete” in the country... Scout.com ranks him
as a three-star prospect and the 34th-best tight end in the country... considered a
three-star prospect, the 42nd-best player in the state, and the 62nd-best wide receiver
in the nation, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a four-star pros-
pect, No. 260 on its ESPN300 list, the 33rd-best “athlete” in the nation and the 24th-
best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a four-star prospect and No. 238 on
the Top 300 All-American Team... Corteries Cosea Googer (GOO-grr) was born De-
cember 10, 1994... interested in the sports management program at South Carolina.
wesley green
cOrnerback
5-10 176
LiTHOnia, Ga. (MarTin LUTHer kinG)
Defensive back at Martin Luther King High School in Lithonia, Ga... coached by Cor-
tez Allen... helped the Lions to a 7-4 record as a senior... collected five interceptions
in his final campaign... Rivals.com considers him a four-star prospect, the 17th-best
player in the state, the 17th-best cornerback in the country and No. 208 on the Ri-
vals250 list... Scout.com ranks him as a four-star prospect, the 21st-best cornerback
in the country and No. 209 overall... 247Sports.com lists him as a four-star recruit,
the nation’s No. 15 cornerback, the 13th-best player in the state of Georgia and No.
185 on its Top247 list... rated a four-star recruit, the ninth-best player in the state, the
nation’s 13th-best cornerback and No. 120 overall by ESPN... committed to South
Carolina over Georgia and Ole Miss from among more than 25 offers.
AL HARRIS JR.
cOrnerback
5-11 162
FOrT LaUDerDaLe, FLa. (ST. THOMaS aQUinaS)
Defensive back at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla... tore his
hamstring in the third game of his senior season and was not able to play the rest
of the way... the Raiders finished the 2013 slate with a 10-3 record and went to the
regional finals of the 7A state playoffs... helped his team to the 7A state title in his
junior season... Rivals.com considers him a three-star prospect, the 74th-best player
in the state, and the 44th-best cornerback in the country... Scout.com ranks him as a
three-star prospect and the 46th-best cornerback in the country... considered a three-
star prospect, the 78th-best player in the state, and the 49th-best cornerback in the
nation, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a three-star prospect, the
83rd-best cornerback in the nation and the 228th-best player in the state... ranked by
PrepStar as a three-star prospect and an All-Southeast Region pick... Alshinard Har-
ris Jr. was born November 19, 1995... father, Al Harris Sr., was a two-time pro bowl
cornerback who played 14 seasons in the NFL for Philadelphia, Green Bay, Miami and
St. Louis and is currently a coach for the Kansas City Chiefs.
ABU LAMIN
DeFenSiVe TackLe
6-4 295
FaYeTTeViLLe, n.c. (TriniTY cHriSTian/FOrT ScOTT c.c.)
Junior college defensive tackle who enrolled at South Carolina in January 2014...
will have three years to play three for the Gamecocks... attended Fort Scott (Kan.)
Community College, where he played for head coach Curtis Horton... racked up 34
tackles in 2013 with 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in nine games for the 2-7 Grey-
hounds... also forced one fumble... redshirted in his first season at FSCC... originally
from Trinity Christian School in Fayetteville, N.C., graduating in 2012... coached by
Chuck Webster... Rivals.com lists him as a four-star prospect and the No. 19 junior
college player in the nation... Scout.com ranks him as a four-star prospect... consid-
ered a four-star prospect, the No. 18 junior college prospect in the country and the
No. 6 JUCO defensive tackle, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a
three-star prospect and No. 43 on its ESPNJC50 list... ranked by PrepStar as a three-
star prospect and a JUCO All-American... selected the Gamecocks over offers from
Alabama, Arkansas, Nebraska and Tennessee among others... named is pronounced
ah-BOO la-MEEN.
Chris lammons
cOrnerback
5-10 172
FOrT LaUDerDaLe, FLa. (PLanTaTiOn)
Played defensive back for head coach Steven Davis at Plantation (Fla.) High School...
helped the Colonels to an 8-3 record and to the second round of the 7A playoffs...
played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio following his senior sea-
son... Rivals.com rates him as a four-star prospect, the 45th-best player in the state
and the 14th-best “athlete” in the country... Scout.com ranks him as a four-star pros-
pect, the 31st-best cornerback in the country and No. 265 overall... 247Sports.com
lists him as a four-star prospect, the nation’s No. 22 cornerback and the 40th-best
player in the state of Florida... ESPN considers him a four-star prospect, the 12th-best
“athlete” in the nation, No. 86 on the ESPN300 list and the 15th-best player in the
state... originally committed to Florida... also visited Wisconsin... Chris Lamar Lam-
mons was born January 31, 1996...member of the high school honor roll... interested
in a communications degree... named is pronounced la-MONZ.
BLAKE MCCLAIN
DeFenSiVe enD
6-3 265
JackSOnViLLe, FLa. (SanDaLWOOD)
Attended Sandalwood High School in Jacksonville... played defensive end for head
coach Adam Geis... helped the Saints to an 8-3 record as a senior... began his prep
career at Ponte Vedra (Fla.) Nease High School... considered a three-star prospect,
the 53rd-best player in the state of Florida and the 19th-best strongside defensive end
in the country by Rivals.com... regarded as a three-star prospect and the 64th-best
defensive end in the country by Scout.com... 247Sports.com lists him as a three-
star prospect, the 19th-best strongside defensive end in the nation and the 84th-best
player in the state of Florida... ESPN.com ranks him as a three-star prospect, the 46th-
best defensive tackle in the nation and the 85th-best player in Florida... originally
committed to Florida State and then to Nebraska before casting his lot with Carolina...
was born September 15, 1995.
KALAN RITCHIE
DeFenSiVe enD
6-5 226
GOOSe creek, S.c. (GOOSe creek)
Played for head coach Chuck Reedy at Goose Creek (S.C.) High School... began the
season as one of the top tight ends in the country and ended it as a defensive end
for the Gators, who went 12-1 before bowing out in the second round of the 4A-II
playoffs... recorded 41 tackles including 11 tackles for loss and three sacks... earned
a spot on the Division II-AAAA all-state team as selected by the High School Sports
Report... also was a Charleston Post & Courier all-region selection... played in the
Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and in the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl follow-
ing his senior season... Rivals.com considers him a three-star prospect, the No. 21
weakside defensive end in the nation and the eighth-best player in the state... Scout.
com ranks him as a three-star prospect and the 50th-best tight end in the country...
considered a three-star prospect, the 30th-best player in the state, and the 47th-best
tight end in the nation, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a three-
star prospect, the 17th-best tight end in the nation and the 18th-best player in the
state... ranked by PrepStar as a three-star prospect and an All-Atlantic Region pick...
also had offers from Clemson, Virginia Tech and NC State among others... was born
October 9, 1995... comes from the same high school that produced current Game-
cocks Brandon Shell and Gerald Turner.
TYSHUN SAMUEL
WiDe receiVer
6-0 192
inMan, S.c. (cHaPMan)
“Deebo” played for head coach Mark Hodge at Chapman High School in Inman,
S.C.... helped lead the Panthers to an 11-4 record and to the semifinals of the AAA
playoffs as a senior... accumulated 166 catches for 2,751 yards and 36 touchdowns
during his career... also rushed 133 times for 898 yards and scored 13 times on
the ground... collected a school record 53 touchdowns in his career... racked up 94
tackles and 12 interceptions playing in the secondary... as a senior logged 61 recep-
tions for 1,184 yards and 15 touchdowns... added 837 yards on the ground with 13
TDs... also scored twice on interceptions... named the High School Sports Report
Class AAA Offensive Player of the Year... played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas
following his senior season... moved to wide receiver and also played running back
as a junior... caught 78 passes for 1,246 yards and 18 scores...also had a kick return
and a punt return for a touchdown... played mainly defensive back and some running
back as a sophomore... Rivals.com considers him a thee-star prospect, the No. 53
wide receiver in the nation and the 17th-best player in the state... listed as a two-star
prospect by Scout.com... considered a four-star prospect, the fifth-best player in the
state, the 35th-best wide receiver in the nation, and is No. 238 overall according to
247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a three-star prospect, the 192nd-best wide
receiver in the nation and the 32nd-best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as
a three-star prospect and an All-Atlantic Region pick... selected South Carolina over
North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Appalachian State... was born January 15, 1996... the
nickname “Deebo” comes from the neighborhood bully character played by actor Tiny
Lister in the movie “Friday”.
DANTE SAWYER
DeFenSiVe enD
6-2 235
SUWanee, Ga. (nOrTH GWinneTT)
Defensive end who was coached by Bob Sphire at North Gwinnett High School in Su-
wanee, Ga.... helped the Bulldogs to a 13-3 record and the state championship game
as a senior where he had an interception... logged 49 tackles, including eight tackles
for loss and three sacks in his final campaign... earned first-team Class AAAAAA
all-state accolades by the Georgia Sportswriters Association... also earned a spot on
the AJC’s Class AAAAAA all-metro team... played in the U.S. Army All-America Bowl
in San Antonio following his senior season... recorded three sacks in that all-star
game... Rivals.com considers him a four-star prospect, the 13th-best player in the
state, the seventh-best strongside defensive end in the country and No. 87 on the
Rivals100 list... Scout.com ranks him as a four-star prospect, the 24th-best defensive
end in the country and No. 231 overall... considered a four-star prospect, the 8th-best
player in the state, the fifth-best weakside defensive end in the nation, and No. 121
overall, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a four-star prospect, No.
88 on its ESPN300 list, the ninth-best defensive end in the nation and the seventh-
best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a four-star prospect and No. 60 on
the Top 150 Dream Team... had numerous offers and also visited Missouri before
choosing the Gamecocks... was born December 17, 1994.
MICHAEL SCARNECCHIA
QUarTerback
6-4 189
FLeMinG iSLanD, FLa. (FLeMinG iSLanD)
Two-year starter for the Golden Eagles of Fleming Island (Fla.) High School... coached
by Frank Hall... led his team to a 10-1 record in his senior season while throwing 28
touchdowns and only two interceptions... earned a spot on the A.P. All-State team... as
a junior, completed 101-of-156 passes for 1,553 yards and 18 touchdowns in his first
year as a starter, earning honorable mention all-state accolades... team logged a 7-3
record... Rivals.com considered him a three-star prospect while Scout.com gave him
a two-star rating... considered a two-star prospect, the 277th-best player in the state,
and the 84th-best pro-style quarterback in the nation, according to 247Sports.com...
ESPN considers him a three-star prospect, the 66th-best pocket-passing quarterback
in the nation and the 239th-best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a three-
star prospect and an All-Southeast Region pick... selected South Carolina over an
offer from UAB... Michael Anthony Scarnecchia was born July 25, 1995... uncle, Sam
Scarnecchia, played football at Miami (Fla.)... excellent student who was a member
of the National Honor Society... interested in neurology... enjoys playing soccer and
video games.
DARIN SMALLS
cOrnerback
5-11 180
SUMMerViLLe, S.c. (SUMMerViLLe)
Played for legendary coach John McKissick at Summerville (S.C.) High School...
the Green Wave went 11-3 and reached the state semifinals in his senior season...
suffered a knee injury in his final campaign... logged 60 tackles and intercepted six
passes as a sophomore, returning two for touchdowns... also competed in baseball
and track... Rivals.com considers him a three-star prospect, the 11th-best player in
the state and the 37th-best cornerback in the country... Scout.com ranks him as a
three-star prospect and the 53rd-best cornerback in the country... considered a three-
star prospect, the 15th-best player in the state, and the 37th-best safety in the nation,
according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a three-star prospect, the 23rd-
best safety in the nation and the 14th-best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as
a three-star prospect and an All-Atlantic Region pick... had more than a dozen major
college offers... Darin Herbert Smalls was born November 15, 1994... interested in the
sports management program.
D.J. smith
cOrnerback
5-11 189
MarieTTa, Ga. (WaLTOn)
Played safety during his senior season at Walton High School in Marietta, Ga., after
playing cornerback as a sophomore and a junior... recorded 77 tackles with a pair of
interceptions in his final campaign while leading the Raiders to a 6-5 mark... coached
by Rocky Hildago... Rivals.com considers him a four-star prospect, the 10th-best
player in the state and the 26th-best cornerback in the country... Scout.com ranks
him as a four-star prospect, the 16th-best safety in the country and No. 168 overall...
considered a four-star prospect, the 45th-best player in the state, and the 36th-best
cornerback in the nation, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a four-
star prospect, the 12th-best cornerback in the nation, No. 108 on the ESPN300 list
and the eighth-best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a four-star prospect
and No. 95 on the Top 150 Dream Team... selected South Carolina over Tennessee
and Clemson... had more than 20 offers... David Jordan Smith was born September
8, 1995... comes from the same high school that produced Gamecock assistant coach
G.A. Mangus.
TAYLOR STALLWORTH
DeFenSiVe TackLe
6-2 293
MObiLe, aLa. (MUrPHY)
Defensive lineman at Mobile, Alabama’s Murphy High School... the Panthers went 6-5
under head coach Ronn Lee in 2013... credited with 53 tackles including 12 tackles
for loss, seven hurries and four sacks as a senior... played in the Mississippi-Alabama
All-Star Classic following his senior season... tallied eight tackles and a sack in that
contest... recorded 57 tackles as a junior including nine for loss and four sacks...
Rivals.com considers him a three-star prospect, the 12th-best player in the state and
the 30th-best defensive tackle in the country... Scout.com ranks him as a three-star
prospect and the 124th-best defensive end in the country... considered a three-star
prospect, the 20th-best player in the state, and the 49th-best defensive tackle in the
nation, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN considers him a three-star prospect, the
107th-best defensive tackle in the nation and the 51st-best player in the state... ranked
by PrepStar as a three-star prospect and an All-Southeast Region pick... had offers
reaching double-digits and also visited Mississippi State before selecting Carolina...
was born August 18, 1995.
DONELL STANLEY
OFFenSiVe LineMan
6-4 346
FLOYDaLe, S.c. (LaTTa)
Offensive lineman who prepped at Latta (S.C.) High School... the Vikings went 7-4 in
2013 under head coach Kelly Williamson... was a finalist for the South Carolina “Mr.
Football” award... earned a spot on the statewide all-state team as selected by the
High School Sports Report... played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas following his
senior season... also played basketball and baseball... played for the baseball state ti-
tle as a junior... Rivals.com considers him a four-star prospect, the 10th-best player in
the state and the 16th-best offensive guard in the nation... Scout.com ranks him as a
four-star prospect, the sixth-best offensive guard in the country and No. 105 overall...
considered a four-star prospect, the fourth-best player in the state, the fifth-best of-
fensive guard in the nation and the 121st-best player overall according to 247Sports.
com... ESPN considers him a four-star prospect, the 14th-best offensive guard in the
nation, No. 214 on the ESPN300 list and the seventh-best player in the state... ranked
by PrepStar as a four-star prospect and No. 213 on the Top 300 All-American Team...
selected Carolina over Clemson... Donell Lavon Stanley Jr. was born June 27, 1995...
a member of the National Honor Society... interested in sports management.
JHAUSTIN THOMAS
DeFenSiVe enD
6-6 255
cOVinGTOn, Ga. (cOLUMbia/TriniTY VaLLeY c.c.)
Defensive end who originally signed with the Gamecocks in February 2012... spent
the past two years at Trinity Valley Community College in Athens, Texas... coached
by Brad Smiley... logged 55 tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss including a league-
leading 12.5 sacks in 2013 for the Cardinals, earning first-team NJCAA All-America
accolades and the SWJCFC Defensive MVP... Rivals.com lists him as a three-star
recruit and the 89th-best JUCO prospect in the country... Scout.com considers him a
two-star recruit... considered a three-star prospect, the fifth-best strongside defensive
end in the JUCO ranks, and the 59th-best JUCO player in the country according to
247Sports.com... considered a three-star recruit who ranks 37th on the ESPNJC50...
ranked by PrepStar as a three-star prospect and a JUCO All-American... was a two-
sport standout at Columbia High in Decatur, Ga... coached by Mario Allen... logged
55 tackles including 20 tackles for loss and three sacks as a senior... team went 6-5 in
his senior season and 6-4 during his junior campaign... as a junior, made 83 tackles
with 13 sacks... also played basketball where he averaged a double-double on the
hardwood... helped his team to back-to-back state titles in hoops... was a three-star
prospect, the nation’s 43rd-best strongside defensive end and the 73rd-best player
in Georgia by Rivals.com... rated a three-star prospect and the nation’s 86th-best
defensive end by Scout.com... a three-star recruit, the 38th-best defensive end and
the 37th-best player in the state according to ESPN.com... a three-star recruit, the
nation’s 36th-best strongside defensive end and the 43rd-best player in Georgia by
247Sports.com... recruited by Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia and Georgia Tech...
born April 13, 1993.
dexter wideman
DeFenSiVe TackLe
6-4 270
SaLUDa, S.c. (SaLUDa)
Defensive line recruit who prepped at Saluda (S.C.) High School... the Tigers went
5-6 under head coach Wayne Bell in 2013... played in the Shrine Bowl of the Caroli-
nas and in the Under Armour All-America game following his senior season... logged
four tackles in the Shrine Bowl... credited with 64 tackles and seven sacks in 2012...
logged 61 tackles with 14.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 2011... Rivals.com
considers him a four-star prospect, the fifth-best player in the state, the 15th-best
defensive tackle in the country and No. 237 on the Rivals250... Scout.com ranks him
as a four-star prospect, the 22nd-best defensive tackle in the country and No. 266
overall... 247Sports.com lists him as a four-star prospect, the nation’s No. 7 defen-
sive tackle, the second-best player in the state and No. 64 on its Top247 list... ESPN
considers him a four-star prospect, the 12th-best defensive tackle in the nation, No.
179 on the ESPN300 list and the sixth-best player in the state... originally committed
to Florida State.
MALIK YOUNG
OFFenSiVe LineMan
6-3 318
PeLZer, S.c. (WOODMOnT)
Offensive lineman who prepped for the Woodmont Wildcats in Piedmont, S.C...
coached by Jason Farmer... team went 4-7 in his final year... earned a spot on the
Division II-AAAA all-state team by the High School Sports Report... an all-region
and two-time all-county selection... played in the Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and
the Offense-Defense All-American game... also lettered in track & field... Rivals.com
considers him a three-star prospect and the 20th-best offensive guard in the nation...
Scout.com ranks him as a three-star prospect and the 98th-best offensive tackle in
the country... considered a three-star prospect, the 23rd-best player in the state, and
the 47th-best offensive guard in the nation, according to 247Sports.com... ESPN con-
siders him a three-star prospect, the 36th-best offensive guard in the nation and the
19th-best player in the state... ranked by PrepStar as a three-star prospect and an All-
Atlantic Region pick... Malik Shaqid Young was born January 18, 1996... interested in
a business degree... enjoys playing basketball and reading.
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