Best of Brad: The recruiter
Former Gamecocks defensive line coach Brad Lawing, a beloved figure amongst the South Carolina fanbase, sadly passed away last month.
Lawing, who had two separate stints at USC, was rightfully regarded as a dogged recruiter and outstanding developer of talent.
GamecockCentral.com looks back on Lawing’s now-legendary career in Columbia with some of our favorite memories.
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His second tenure with the Gamecocks began officially on February 20, 2006.
That was in advance of spring football for that season, and there were some solid players on the roster on the defensive front.
Lawing took a look around and knew what he needed to do, though. He needed to, as he put it, “change the DNA” of the defensive line.
The impact was immediate. In his first recruiting cycle back with the Gamecocks – the 2007 class – Lawing helped USC assemble the group that’s still the highest ranked in the dot com era.
He turned Travian Robertson away from Clemson, North Carolina, and others and landed a summer commitment from the four-star after a major recruiting battle.
Cheraw’s Cliff Matthews – another highly-ranked prospect – picked USC over Georgia.
Lawing also flipped a pair of prep school prospects that had been committed to other schools during the previous cycle. Ladi Ajiboye (Virginia Tech) and Clifton Geathers (Georgia).
He also played a key role in turning five-star prospect Chris Culliver away from Clemson, North Carolina, and others and to South Carolina.
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That class, of course, also held Melvin Ingram, who was originally recruited as a linebacker but eventually made the switch to defensive line and flourished under Lawing’s tutelage.
All of those players would play critical roles in turning the Gamecocks’ program around and several had NFL careers.
A cycle later, Lawing – and area recruiter Shane Beamer – took a chance on a tall, lanky pass-rusher from Beaufort named Devin Taylor.
During the 2010 and 2011 cycles, Lawing was also heavily involved with Marcus Lattimore and Jadeveon Clowney’s recruitments. There were plenty of others: Byron Jerideau, Kelcy Quarles, Chaz Sutton, to name a few.
“You can’t talk about Brad Lawing without talking about recruiting. I think he’s the best recruiter that’s every been at South Carolina,” former Gamecocks defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson said on the GamecockCentral Takeover Hour on 107.5 The Game last month. “I base it on production. Players that came in and continued, players that came in and dominated, players that came in and were difference makers. He was just a tenacious recruiter.”
It was easy to see then, but as time has passed, it’s even more clear how much of an impact Lawing made on the South Carolina program with his prowess on the recruiting trail and development front.
Without Spurrier bringing him back in 2006, odds are some of the best players in school history may have never suited up for USC.
We will continue our look back at Lawing’s legendary career in future installments.
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