The Insider Report: recapping another Gamecocks official visit weekend

The Gamecocks coaching staff hosted a talented group of 11 official visitors over the weekend, and plenty of reactions from prospects have already rolled in to GamecockCentral.com.

There’s even more to report a day after the action concluded.

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— Four-star tight end commitment Michael Smith was the lone committed prospect to take his official visit this weekend.

We can tell you that the South Carolina coaching staff is thrilled to have Smith in the class. They feel that he has a huge upside with his combination of size and athleticism.

During the trip, he spent some time with future position coach Jody Wright, getting some pointers on taking his blocking to the next level as a high school senior.

Beyond that, Smith spent a lot of time lending a hand in recruiting efforts, talking to other visiting prospects on behalf of USC.

— I entered a new On3 RPM pick for Missouri punter Mason Love following his official visit.

He called his trip to Columbia the best he’s taken, which was eye-opening given that he’s been to many big-time programs around the country: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, FSU, and Wisconsin, among others.

Love spent plenty of time during his visit with the kicking battery of Mitch Jeter, Kai Kroeger, and Hunter Rogers.

We have documented in the past that those three are all considering the possibility of not just one, but two more seasons with USC. We’ll see how that plays out, but regardless, Pete Lembo and Shane Beamer view Love as the possible heir apparent to Kroeger.

It’s big shoes to fill, no doubt, but Love is ranked as one of the best in the country at his position and is a player that Lembo deems worthy of a scholarship. The timeline would allow him to sit behind Kroeger for a year or two and develop.

A decision is likely to come in the next few weeks for Love.

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— Fred Johnson hit the radar in a big way when he turned in a standout performance on the first day of the Gamecocks’ summer camps.

He measured in over 6-foot-3 and 225 pounds, running in the 4.5-second range in the 40 and a 4.2-second time in the short shuttle.

USC offered at that point, which laid out the path to quickly accelerate his recruitment. This weekend’s official visit was set in short order, and now Johnson is saying he wants to make a decision later this month or in July.

There’s a possibility that he takes an OV to Virginia Tech on June 23. The Gamecocks appear to be in a strong position here.

— We had more than one observer from the weekend point out to us the size of North Carolina defensive tackle Nnamdi Ogboko, who is listed at 6-foot-4 and 335 pounds.

While Ogboko is a bit newer to the Gamecocks radar, he is someone that the staff appears to have made a significant move with in a short amount of time.

Obgoko’s feedback about the trip and the USC coaching staff was very strong. He is looking at the possibility of making a decision by the end of summer.

Next up for Ogboko is an official visit to Florida, and he may also go somewhere on June 23. Let’s see how this one shapes up, but South Carolina’s now in the running.

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— We do not feel as good about South Carolina’s chances as of now with Dublin (Georgia) four-star defensive tackle Nasir Johnson.

The primary reason? He named Florida as the school standing out to him the most right after his trip to Columbia. He also has an official visit on the books for Gainesville next weekend.

— Torrian Gray played host to several talented defensive backs this weekend.

Let’s begin with four-star Kam Mikell, a long-time target of Gray’s out of the state of Georgia. It stands to reason that UGA has been and may remain a difficult program to beat.

That may prove true, but Gray is giving this one a good run.

Kentucky and Tennessee are set to draw visits during the football season, and it’s entirely possible Mikell will see fit to travel to Williams-Brice Stadium for a game, too.

— Malcolm Ziglar is another four-star defensive back who was on campus this weekend and is a prospect who was all smiles throughout his visit.

Notre Dame hosts Ziglar this month, and we have a feeling that the Fighting Irish will be a major factor here. Clemson jumped in late with an offer, too, but Ziglar did not mention the Tigers on Sunday.

After the Notre Dame visit, Ziglar will head to UNC for an official. Interestingly, he said that he “hopes to get back soon” to Columbia. He’s eyeing a decision in July.

Gray’s track record with defensive back development was another aspect that Ziglar pointed to in South Carolina’s favor.

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— Also on hand was Alabama’s Kaleb Harris, a name that came a bit out of nowhere for us when we first learned he was going to be visiting.

Behind the scenes, Torrian Gray has kept in touch here for a while. He traveled to Alabama to scout Harris during the spring, and then wanted to set him up for an official. He’s probably more of a safety or nickel prospect.

Next up for Harris is an official to Georgia Tech on June 23. He’s someone we’ll be tracking pretty closely for now for the Gamecocks.

— It’s well-known that South Carolina needs to sign a couple of talented backs in the 2024 class. One candidate – Georgia’s Matthew Fuller – was on hand for his 48-hour trip to USC.

He left saying: “I think I want to be part of it.”

We know that USC is going all out for Mississippi’s Daniel Hill and appear to be in a good position. The staff hosted Braylen Russell for an official last weekend.

The feel here is that the Gamecocks have the edge for Fuller, who also visited Georgia Tech officially earlier this month.

— Sterling Lucas had four-star DD Holmes in from the DMV area, and the four-star prospect looks the part in terms of what you look for in an EDGE prospect.

Holmes was the lone prospect we did not get personal returns from, but multiple sources came away from the weekend feeling that he really enjoyed himself during the trip.

Interestingly, the Gamecocks now lead the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine for Holmes; GamecockCentral.com has not submitted a pick at this point.

Florida, FSU, Maryland, Michigan, and Rutgers are the other five programs in the mix for the 6-foot-6, 240-pounder.

— Perhaps the most intriguing visitor on campus this weekend was Atlanta’s Quintavius Johnson, who’s gone in two years from a high school quarterback to a nearly-250 pound defensive end.

He also carries offers from Georgia and Tennessee, two programs he’ll see on official visits the next two weekends.

Johnson gave a strong review of the visit to GamecockCentral.com, and he was also in touch with the USC staff immediately after leaving campus to reinforce his feelings about the trip.

Given the visits he has coming up, it’s too early to know how this one may shake out.

He is someone to monitor closely throughout the summer.

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