Alabama football coach Nick Saban last week resumed his considerable recruiting strength in the state of South Carolina.
After signing Robbie Ouzts from Rock Hill several months ago for the 2021 class, Saban is now looking for Greer Jaleel Skinner’s tight end for 2022.
Saban offered Skinner via Zoom on March 18.
“This was special. This was different, ”said Skinner. “This is the first time that a head coach has offered me. Coach Saban and I had a great conversation. It was great to be able to actually talk to him. I really want to meet you in person. “
Clemson also remains an important factor with Skinner. He said that he and coach Tony Elliott are communicating a lot with Zoom’s calls.
“It’s great to talk to these guys, too. You can’t forget about them, ”said Skinner. “We are just talking and going a little deeper into the program and a little bit about academics and stuff on campus.”
The same cannot be said for Skinner and South Carolina. Skinner said the Gamecocks appear to have switched to other tight end targets.
“Unfortunately, South Carolina and I didn’t talk much, as they have a new technical team,” said Skinner. “It’s okay, though. It is not like it was with the old coaching staff. Everything is fine. I’ve heard of them, but I don’t talk to them every day like I do with some other colleges. “
Skinner previously indicated an inclination for Florida among his best schools, but now he does not feel so close to any program.
“I am not saying that they are not my favorites, I am just saying that I am now open,” said Skinner. “I’m not saying that I have a high school right now. It is open to everyone and I am enjoying the process. “
USC secondary coach Torrian Gray has become an important player for Dallas cornerback Kyron Chambers. Gray offered it to Chambers earlier this month and since then, he and his defense team have been on top of him. This put Gamecocks in a prominent position with Chambers, who plans to pay a visit in the next two to three months.
“I really like South Carolina,” said Chambers. “I like their culture and I’m starting to get to know South Carolina. I’m waiting until the restrictions (COVID-19) are over so that I can visit. I like that so far. Everything is going well and from now on they are among the best with me. My top five are basically South Carolina, Indiana, Oklahoma, Cal and Arizona. “
Chambers said he is looking forward to his first conversation with coach Shane Beamer and defensive coordinator Clayton White. He is also working on a personal visit to USC as soon as the dead period is over. Some of its other offerings are Georgia Tech, Texas Tech, Washington State, Cincinnati, San Diego State, Liberty, Houston, SMU and Syracuse.
Chambers is classified as a three-star potential customer on 247Sports Composite and is ranked as the No. 45 cornerback nationally in the 2022 class. Last season, he had more than 40 tackles with 3 interceptions.
Clemson is thin in the cornerback and the Tigers hope to remedy that in the 2022 recruiting class. One target they have a good shot at is Toriano Pride of St. Louis. He is a four star in the 247Sports Composite and ranked 14th nationally among the corners. Clemson is among the top seven, along with Georgia, the state of Ohio, Alabama, Oregon, Missouri and Oregon.
“A few months ago, coach Mike Reed offered me from Clemson. Since then, we’ve just built a really good relationship, ”said Pride. “I built a relationship with trainer (Brent) Venables and talked to trainer (Dabo) Swinney. They made me feel like a priority. I really like Clemson. “
Pride said that he plays all the secondary positions in his school. This was duly noted by Reed, who wants it as a song while enjoying its general versatility.
“One thing that coach Reed tells me a lot is that he likes how I can play in several different positions, how he can move me in the secondary,” said Pride. “This is probably the main thing. They said that they like my technique and my speed very much. My speed is above all, but they also like my technique and my physicality. “
Pride said it plans to make its decision in June. He will sign in December and will graduate early.
USC head coach Shane Beamer and offensive line manager Greg Adkins were late in the recruiting battle for the Grayson Mains offensive attack in Suwanee, Georgia. But they gained ground quickly and the Gamecocks are now in the top three of Grayson, along with Tennessee and Michigan State.
“They have everything I’m looking for,” said Mains of USC. “I love the new coaching staff, especially Coach Beamer. It seems that he has a lot of personality, he seems to be a nice guy. Coach Adkins has a great track record. He also looks like a nice guy. I could definitely see him training me. He knows a lot about the game. And from an academic point of view, they have exactly what I want to study there. I’ve been talking a lot with my family about it lately, and it seems like it’s perfect for me. “
Mains said he will visit USC, Tennessee and the state of Michigan. There is no favorite among his top three, and he has not entirely refused to recruit others. As much as he likes the Gamecocks right now, they have not separated from the others.
“I have the same feelings about other schools,” said Mains. “I still have a lot of things that I want to find out. “It will certainly be the place that feels most at home. It will be the technical committee that I see that really wants me, really wants me to be part of your program and where I feel I can develop in the best way ”.
Some of its other offerings are Air Force, Duke, State of Arizona, State of Mississippi, Wake Forest, Purdue, UCF, West Virginia and East Carolina. Mains said he hopes to make his decision by the end of the summer.
USC entered the top 10 with four-star cornerback Keenan Nelson from Philadelphia. The other schools on his list are Virginia Tech, Rutgers, Penn State, Tennessee, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Pitt, Maryland and Wisconsin. He is classified as the No. 12 cornerback in the class at 247Sports Composite.
The Kiyaunta Goodwin offensive attack from Charlestown, Ind., Named one of the top five in Clemson, Kentucky, Ohio, Michigan and Alabama.
The defensive side of Clemson’s target, IMG Academy’s Jihaad Campbell, was offered by Alabama.
Clemson’s defensive target, Samuel Okunlola, from Brockton, Massachusetts, was offered by Georgia.
Clemson offered five star security Jacoby Mathews of Ponchatoula, Louisiana. He is ranked second in national security in the class at 247Sports Composite.
Basketball
Boston College’s new coach Earl Grant, a former College of Charleston coach, offered 6-6 Julian Phillips of Blythewood, 6-9 Perry Smith of the Legacy Charter and 6-8 GG Jackson of Ridge View.
Brandon Gardner (6-7) of Gray Collegiate was offered by Texas A&M for the 2023 class.
The USC women offered 6-4 Riley Stack of Wren, daughter of former Gamecock star Ryan Stack.