South Carolina football could be an option for the former five-star DB.
Shane Beamer and the South Carolina technical team have been on the recruiting trail this off-season, especially with regard to the transfer portal. Gamecocks added eight transfers over the winter, while looking to continue building the cast and filling in the missing pieces during the coaching transition.
And, according to Mike Farrell at Rivals.com, Beamer and Co. may not be ready yet.
Former five-star candidate and native of Palmetto state, Derion Kendrick, is on the market after splitting from rival Clemson Tigers. Kendrick went to college as an assistant, but has since moved to defense, where he became a contributor to all conferences.
In three seasons with the Tigers, the cornerback recorded 63 tackles, 11 broken passes, three interceptions and two touchdowns on the defensive side of the ball. Kendrick won the first team’s All-ACC award last year as a junior.
Although talented, he comes with some luggage. Kendrick did not enter the transfer portal on his own, instead he was fired from the Clemson program after a season of disciplinary issues. These problems caused him to lose games, lose his starting spot, and ultimately be forced to find a new program for his last game season.
Gamecocks desperately need a defensive back after the defeats of Jaycee Horn, Israel Mukuamu, Jammie Robinson, John Dixon and Shilo Sanders. If Kendrick chose to play for South Carolina, he would come to Columbia as a starter on the first day of Clayton White’s defensive unit, contrary to the return of second year Cam Smith. But Gamecocks may feel that he is not worth the risk due to the number of encounters with Dabo Swinney.
Farrell mentions a few other schools that will be competing for Kendrick’s services, including Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, West Virginia, Florida, TCU and Minnesota. Obviously, there are some historic programs on that list, but none can offer what Gamecocks can; proximity to home.
Kendrick grew up in the Rock Hill area and attended the same college as Gamecock big names, Stephon Gilmore, Jadeveon Clowney and Devonte Holloman. If he wants to stay in the state of Palmetto, South Carolina will present his best opportunity to compete at a high level in his final year.
Here’s what Farrell had to say about the transfer and the impact it could have on his next landing site.
Kendrick was a five-star wide receiver out of high school, but he became an elite cornerback in Clemson and must be an immediate beginner somewhere. He has something to prove and will have a disadvantage. He has the size and athleticism to be great and has the potential for the future in the first round. With the multiple disciplinary issues at Clemson, he is a bit of a wildcard, but for a national candidate or local school who needs a closed corner, he is worth the risk.
Impact assessment: 8.8 out of 10
Kendrick was once considered the best player in the state of South Carolina, but ended up choosing to reject Gamecocks for rival Clemson. Maybe Shane Beamer and Carolina’s new coaching staff can bring him on board this time.